Witch
by Heero91
Summary: The year is unknown, the government faceless, and the enemy demonised. Remnants of the Great War, the descendants of artifically enhanced humans are universially feared and loathed. Rumours have arisen however of rebellion amongst the dregs of society.
1. Shocking Beginnings

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 1;

* * *

The year is…unknown to most, the act of keeping a record of a societies years has ended among the common population, history is instead measured in ten year chunks now before the cycle is refreshed, once the cycle begins again all dates and information from the former's first five years are removed and at the halfway point the second five years and erased.

History has been removed.

Few however care for their history given the culture of fear spread throughout the population; the paranoia stems mostly from left over remnants of the last great war, human beings altered into something both less and more than they had been for the purpose of winning the war; the process was experimental and the results volatile.

The creations were known as Rake's after the first scientist to undergo such experiments Professor James Rake.

Their descendants were better known as Freaks and a multitude of different less polite titles, given the volatile nature of such people those with too pure blood lines were strictly monitored and often times imprisoned simply as precaution by the government.

* * *

I awoke with a start my mind aching and feeling uncomfortably loose in my skull, as I tried to open my eyes I found the right socket too painfully swollen and could only crack open my left eye; the white light blinded me for a moment before I blinked away the black spots with some difficulty.

I expected to see a crack team of kidnappers before me, tools and equipment for interrogation at the ready to steal information from me…I had not expected to see a scrawny teenager.

The boy was a too neat looking youth hanging in the background wearing starched pressed black pants and an immaculate white t-shirt, the rest of his uniform lay on a nearby table, he held a poorly faked expression of disinterest that clearly distinguished him as a regular teenager not some bizarre professional assassin.

"Matthew Fletcher?" he asked his tone impressively even, I didn't answer right away just stared the punk kid down, he pulled a stool over towards me straddling it and I guessed did his best impersonation of someone actually intimidating.

"Never mind, that's not the important one, water?" he asked switching to a more kindly demeanour- well perhaps not kindly- I stayed quiet deciding to tune out the boy, whoever the real boss was would show himself in due time; I tried to recall what I'd been doing before I lost consciousness grasping nothing but treads of air.

"You can't remember what happened? She did something…I'm not sure what but I guess memory loss is a side effect." He mentioned, it drew my attention quite quickly away from testing my binds, I growled out a 'what' in question; a glint of victory entered his eyes at finally drawing a response from me.

"You seem confused. That's not good, we thought you were something of a specialist." Answered the boy leaning forward conspiratorially, his brown eyes flickered with an intelligence I hadn't noticed earlier and I drew back with a newfound caution of the youth.

"And just what do you know of my profession?" I shot snidely, I had no feeling in my hands or feet and I felt a tremor of disgust rock my stomach at the thought that one of those creatures had used their abilities on me.

"Mostly first hand experience." Answered the boy, I narrowed my eyes at the youth, he appeared human enough but that only boded for the worst; the more capable they were of passing as us the more dangerous they were.

"You a natural boy?" I asked, he could lie but they were bad at lying; it was too complex, too human a process for their alien minds to mimic.

"I am, what does it matter?" he answered no trace of deceit in his voice and no tells in his body language.

"Then let me free you idiot, if any of those filthy things are he-" he cut me with a glare and an obscene take on the sentiment that I should be quiet.

"She is neither a thing nor filthy asshole." Defended the kid and for a moment I blinked at his share stupidity until an answer clicked in my mind.

"She huh? Quite pretty I'd guess, fused perfectly with you I see." I commented, the youths brow furrowed and he repeated the word 'fused' in question; I sighed but decided to answer the brat anyway, explaining his condition to him wouldn't alleviate it but it was worth a shot anyway.

"Some of them, the high end ones are quite symbiotic. They attach themselves to some loved up idiot to serve as their conscious, keep they're psychopathic tendencies at bay for a while. It always ends the same though." I answered, I could already see the news flashes a couple of weeks from now- they'd use words like young and innocent to downplay the kids stupidity and raise sympathy and support when he became nothing more than a messy blood stain.

"And how does it end?" he asked almost bored…maybe the brat really was just innocent.

"You violently murdered. They're not human kid, they get bored of pretending to be after a while; all of them eventually." I answered honestly saddened by the thought, no doubt whatever master had enthralled the boy would kill me but if the kid saw some sense he still had a chance to make it.

"She's different." He grunted with all the pig headed nobility of youth, I considered responding but abandoned it as a clatter behind me announced a new presence in the room.

"Fletcher?" asked a surprisingly soft voice, neither the voice or figure that stepped into view would have alerted me to the fact that I now shared in the company of a Freak.

The girl couldn't have been more than sixteen, she wore a baggy school uniform that hid most of her figure from scrutiny but the attires skirt still only hung slightly lower than her cascading ebony locks revealing more than a sliver of skin between it and her black boots; as her bright blue eyes blinked at me from behind her thick round spectacles I found it hard to believe my own conclusion that this person was in fact less and more then she appeared.

The boys bewitched smile at her was enough confirmation.

"He hasn't said yet." Answered the dark youth before turning his gaze back on me, I began to wonder what exactly they hoped to learn from me; I was low in the chain of command, there would be no prying military or genetic secrets from me, even within my team I wasn't a crucial member…as depressing as I may have been to contemplate I was little more than a drone.

"Oh, I thought I heard you speaking." Mused the girl displaying a cute tick I suspected she'd practiced thoroughly in her own time, she pouted tilting her head to her right slightly; I gave a snare at the trick as she sat on a stool of her own crossing her legs in a dainty fashion; there was several dull moments where the boy offered her a crooked I almost thought reassuring smile and she offered her own soft one in kind, then her gaze directed itself toward me and turned icy cold- she clicked her pale white fingers and electricity sprung to life between her index finger and thumb, it danced between her appendages like a snake at its masters beck and call.

"Matthew Fletcher?" she questioned her voice disturbing in a gentle threatening manner, I gulped aware of what this thing could do if she wished it, I steeled my nerves and nodded.

"In that case, 8-9-14-1-20-1, tell me everything you know about that code." she commanded rolling up the left sleeve of her shirt, she passed her blazing fingers over her forearm and I was shocked for a moment to see the same numbers appear into existence upon her smooth skin.

"You're first generation." I whispered my mind having trouble processing the reality before me; the great war had been decades before, Rake's these day's rarely passed over twenty percentage purity and any above ten percentage were considered of highest danger, a new Rake shouldn't exist.

"The numbers don't mean anything to you?" asked the boy, the girl though didn't seem convinced, she pressed the question once more.

"First generation…" I whispered again, the girl had begun to speak but my mind had fled the situation, I raced through the implications of this revelation; someone was creating new Rake's, for what purpose, a war, an uprising…what possible reason could anyone have for reintroducing such a horrid plague back into a still incompletely healed society.

I felt a furious pain explode in my chest and the world spiral as I coughed harshly the air driven from my chest, I starred wide eyed up at the girl from my new place on my back; her eyes had blanched to a pale furious white and her black tresses too had faded to a shimmering gold, the light crackling sparks had flared into raging bolts of vicious lighting dancing all along her forearm.

And then it had passed; her ragged breathing had faded to shallow even breaths, her hair regained its inky dark tone and her eyes their bright cerulean hue- the boy stood next to her a hand clasped over her shoulder and whispered softly into the shell of her ear.

A volatile one indeed.

"He knows nothing Hinata, not about that anyway." I made out of his whispering, Hinata huh, the bloody thing had a name apparently.

"Can you erase his memory?" asked the boy, Sasuke, hefting me back into an upright position, I glared at the both of them; I'd rather a quick death then having that creature do anything to me, hell I'd rather a brutal painful death than that damned things touch on me again.

"Yes, but I've got more questions for him first." Answered the Rake stepping away slightly back to her overturned stool, I tried not to be grateful that the boy stayed close to her watching her carefully.

What was it they called those Rakes again; the ones who bond themselves to a regular human, Witches that was it- seemed appropriate.

* * *

"I'm sorry." She apologised that night, it was the first thing she'd mentioned since our interrogation of the scientist.

"It's alright Hinata." I comforted her, she was playing with her food dejectedly swirling the plain noodles with her chopsticks, I glanced around the rest of the shop relieved to note that apart from the elderly waitress lingering near the end of the counter we were alone- I took a sip of coffee as she frowned at her food.

"I thought I had gained more control." She muttered with a hint of self-consciousness, it was my turn to frown.

"And then what would I do?" I asked drawing a small smile from her, I returned it, in honesty that I could calm her down when she entered those moods was a source of more than a little pride to me.

"I could think of a thing or two." She answered and I made a mental note to limit the time she spent with Naruto in the future, the blonde airhead had taught her far more raunchy jokes and one liners than was strictly necessary.

"How long has it been since we met?" I mused aloud- despite myself Fletchers warnings still rung piercingly within my mind- of course I knew it had been about three years but…

"Three years, two months, six days and seventeen hours." She answered with a grin, of course she had another reason for the detailed count; she remembered nothing before those three years.

I still recalled how I found her those years ago, the deafening noise of the storming rains to match my own grief, the passing of speeding vehicles ignorant of pedestrians, the neon glow of clubs and bars lining the downtown streets and of course the pale wheezing girl wearing nothing more than a medical gown passed out on a plastic green street bench.

I returned to my current surroundings as my companion finally set down her utensils and pushed her bowl away.

"We'll catch a tread eventually Hinata." I offered, it was strange playing the optimist with her but todays failing had clearly effected Hinata- it wasn't hard to tell she had about as much skill in the art of deception as Naruto in subtlety.

There was a couple of minutes silence as I withdrew a couple of crumpled bills from my pocket from the food, then Hinata made a suggestion.

"We should have sex tonight." I think the waitress heard her as she half coughed, half choked and shot us a withering glare.

"Okay..." I answered, still unused about how to react to this recent development in the girls nature, every couple of months a new quirk seemed to enter her nature as she discovered something she liked about modern culture.

After she gained a love of Italian food she spent three months near living in the kitchen, the results were mixed, while it would be safe to say she became quite skilled at what she practiced she did in fact only make the same two or three dishes with a religious loyalty; an interest in botanical life lead to the sorrowful death of more than a few innocent plants until I'd bought her a cactus.

But even after each passion faded she never abandoned them instead simply scheduling them into her week, almost as if she were building a personality, habits and interests acting as the blocks.

"It makes me feel good, I want to feel good." Of course when Hinata had discovered sex I hadn't exactly complained about it.

I couldn't tell you if I loved her, when her anger over powered her she lost the side of her I knew and for days afterwards would be like this, blunt, emotionally detached, empty.

If the real Hinata was the kind girl I knew between those times, the playful sweet girl who couldn't bring herself to hurt a fly then yes I loved her; if she was the vicious creature with glowing features that would flay a man's skin on a whim and couldn't process things past repeated speech, hunger and a need for sex then…I probably still bloody loved her, I was just a whole lot less happy about it.

"You're still angry, about me losing control again?" she questioned standing with me, I raked a hand through my hair and sighed.

"I'm not angry, I just…there's always a wall between us after..." I answered, for a moment Hinata appeared confused and I suspected as her gaze focused on the space between us she was searching for an actual physical wall.

"I'm sorry." I sighed again.

* * *

And that's the teaser for my newest story, hope I've got at least someone hooked.

Please review!

R&R


	2. Broken Soldier

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 2;

* * *

Rakes' descendants are known for their slight inhuman characteristics, unnatural eye or hair colours, markings and other less subtle hints make recognising a Rake a relatively simple task at the lower end of the spectrum.

The higher ones though, the ten percentage and above groups often bare cloaking techniques for hiding their more fantastic features, generally these individuals are referred to as Chameleons or Witches- as a matter of rule practically all Witches were Chameleons but the opposite did not hold true.

Witches were the highest known order of Rake easily recognisable by their reliance on a human host, the other lower orders could blend in with regular humans on their own and for the most part were human themselves processing emotions as we do only not as powerfully; Witches however were believed to have no persona of their own bar the programming to kill their enemies, they had to be taught human traits by their partners and for a large part they simply copied pieces of other's personalities into a makeshift identity of their own.

Rakes abilities varied from individual to individual, common was inhuman strength, speed and endurance, the ability to regenerate from injuries that would kill a normal human and heightened senses; known variations could include the ability to produce an electric wave, telepathy, photographic memory, technopathy and sonar; there were rumours too of other abilities such as invisibility, omni-linguism, empathy, precognition, mind control and shape shifting beyond a chameleons natural disguise technique.

In short Rakes were far beyond regular human beings in their physical and mental capacities lacking only in imagination, rather than being hailed for these capabilities though Rakes were met with distrust, government monitoring and outright hostility.

* * *

"Stop grinning." I almost regretted the words when her grin did disappear, naturally Hinata would think I was actually upset as opposed to being mildly petty about test scores.

"I mean. It's a good thing, but you don't need to rub it in okay." The grin reappeared, Hinata did not possess restraint when it came to her limited vocabulary of expressions, I didn't mind so much- Hinata honestly mocking anyone was an unlikely occurrence- still though it stung when I glanced down at my disparaging grade, 43 percentage, I'd passed but barely.

"You're really awful at French Sasuke." She commented, being kind enough to highlight and correct several of my exams papers mistakes while she was at it, I snared slightly then smirked in realisation.

"Perhaps, it's English literature next though, tell me you haven't just copied out Hemingway again." It had been a rather remarkable class, miss Thornsbury had appointed a 'Farewell to Arms' as our reading material with a review due as the first written assignment- I'd explained a review as your opinion and what the book was about…Hinata had copied the entire novel out and added the word 'sad' at the end as her opinion.

"No." she responded proudly hefting her heavy book bag onto a single shoulder with no signs of strain, I coughed discreetly and she released an almost theatrical grunt as she shifted the bag onto her second shoulder too- shooting me a look that seemed to say 'I do good?'.

It was funny in a way, Hinata and I were the type of students that naturally should be bullied or shoved into lockers on occasion, though thanks to our peculiar little interactions both of us come off as crazy and sociopathic enough to be avoided by the general population; though I didn't doubt there were more than a few vicious rumours ghosting around about us.

"Did you copy an answer from the internet instead?" I asked, she looked away for a moment, pursed her lips and swept her left hand through her dark tresses before she shook her head exaggeratedly in denial; she had most certainly copied an answer.

"Fletcher woke up today." She mentioned almost half-heartedly, of course that was natural the girl rarely worried about anything, that was strictly my area of expertise.

"And?" I prompted happy to see the corridor was deserted.

"He doesn't remember anything." She answered lightly, I tried to keep my sigh of relief somewhat discreet, I suspect I did a bad job as Hinata giggled, my phone hummed softly from my pocket and I withdrew it with little excitement, as far as text messages went I tended to just receive promotions from my service provider.

"Kakashi's coming over tonight." I spoke with slight surprise, though when I thought it through it had been awhile since I had seen my guardian.

"I'm cooking." I interjected quickly as Hinata began to speak, the girl could cook- fantastically so in fact- but Kakashi was allergic to peanuts, Kakashi was also a talented detective in Konoha's police department whom had more than once clocked Hinata's unusual behaviour and mentioned it to me; Hinata was not above trying poison Kakashi to eliminate the potential threat despite actually liking the man.

The bespectacled girl actually pouted in disappointment, an expression made more disconcerting by the fact that I knew it had not slipped out unconsciously- Hinata chose every expression she wore carefully.

We arrived at class and took our traditional seats in the back corner near the window, Hinata surprisingly nervous as she pulled her textbook and assignment from her bag, I tried not to look too smug that this was one of the few classes I could outdo the genius girl in.

* * *

"Evening kid." Greeted the gruff toned man stepping into my small apartment with his natural good humoured grin, stooped posture and twinkling eyes; that being said I almost didn't recognise the older man, the twinkle in his amber eyes was duller than I remembered and was lessened considerably by the appearance of his sunken gaunt grey cheeks and the three day stubble he wore, his hair was greasy and the bags beneath his eyes deep.

"Hey Kakashi." I returned slightly shocked at the man's appearance, I hesitated a moment before offering to take his jacket and falling into our usual routine, we made small talk about my grades and Kakashi's caseload- which I gathered was particularly heavy these days- as we made our way to the kitchen and Hinata; I noted he had un-characteristically removed his badge and his Beretta from his belt leaving them with his jacket.

This was the same man whom had refused to leave his beloved vintage gun at home when he attended my eight birthday, I gave him a questioning look.

"Rin's been a little insistent about gun control with junior on the way." Commented Kakashi with a marked note of pride and a happy smile.

"Good evening Hina." Greeted the Hatake happily, the dark haired girl managed to surprise me keeping all traces of annoyance at the nickname submerged, in fact she seemed strangely sad at the sight of my guardian…I didn't think she'd be that disappointed at not poisoning the silver haired cop.

"Detective Hatake." Returned Hinata politely earning a severe cringe from said man as he sat down across from her, it was an obvious exaggeration I knew and I hoped he wouldn't do a whole bit on it.

"So when's Rin due?" I asked to distract him from hamming it up, it worked as the Hatake began to bore me with details of dates, measurements and other little facts about the impending birth I didn't really pay all that much attention to; midway through speaking Kakashi suddenly paused with a wince and withdrew a bandana from a pocket of his slacks, he carefully wrapped his head covering his foreign left eye.

"It start hurting again?" I asked the rather stupid question with a degree of sympathy that could only be considered as much coming from someone as taciturn as I was, Kakashi nodded chewing a mouthful of the admittedly over salted stew I'd prepared.

"Yeah, too much overtime these days, don't rest it as much as I should." Answered the Hatake swallowing his food, Hinata was carefully quiet absorbed in her meal apparently but I saw something flash in her eyes that set me on edge, there was something strange going on here.

Years ago before entering his career in law enforcement Kakashi had served in the military, in a small scale fire-fight I'd never heard the details of Kakashi had been grievously injured- most notably he had lost his left eye- after a small depression he had signed onto the then experimental super soldier project.

The project was similar in scope to Rakes earlier work but had important differences, people now highly feared genetic alterations and were completely opposed to the Rakes soldier from birth state; super soldiers were not test tube babies like the original Rakes but experienced soldiers modified- physically, never mentally, another family of sociopathic super humans was the last thing anyone wanted.

Kakashi had gained a new eye and several bionic implants were his limbs had been damaged- I didn't actually know where he'd been implanted, Kakashi was extremely cagey on the subject- becoming one of the first of many enhanced soldiers; the process hadn't been without it's prices though, Kakashi had been forced to take a multitude of different chemicals and supplements to migrate the changes to his body the side effects of which was a significant cut in his life expectancy and even now he was victim to bouts of intense pain from his unnatural physiology.

"You want some aspirin?" I asked half trying to recall if I actually had any before the man shook his head in refusal.

"You look bigger by the way, training a lot to impress cute little Hini here?" asked the silver haired man with a grin that seemed positively wolfish, I almost snorted, no matter how many evenings I spent whittling away my time in the boxing club I doubt I'd impress Hinata with my abilities.

She could, after all, punch a hole clean through the gym's heaviest bag with perhaps at most some slight effort.

"Just felt driven I guess, for a while now." I answered as Hinata offered me a slight smile, allusions to us as a couple tended to have that effect on her, myself too actually unless said allusions were just Kakashi trying to be a dick; my drive naturally came from Hinata and my recent aggression in discovering her past.

We made more small talk, did you fail French this term, did you cheat then, really? He even tried to speak with Hinata asking similar but less teasing questions though the quiet girl closed him off at each and every turn with short closed answers.

"You know Rin and I have been talking…" began the Hatake a strange look of consideration colouring his features, made all the stranger for the stupid bandana's presence.

"Yeah?" I questioned between mouthfuls of own food.

"We'd like you to stand for our daughter, be her Godfather." He answered catching me off guard, it seemed fair that a sixteen year old student wasn't your average person's first choice as a potential legal guardian.

"Think about it okay." He added relieving me of the necessity of an immediate answer, I wouldn't reject the offer but it was still a relief to know I had time to decide; strangely a look of horror had entered Hinata's eyes at the request, Kakashi had laughed it off with good nature I hoped coming to some simple conclusion that escaped me.

Our meal continued on in companionable conversation, it wasn't long however before our evening was interrupted as Kakashi's phone shrieked to life noisily singing some high pitched- I'm sure supposedly catchy- song, the Hatake answered with all the rushed poise of a flailing idiot.

"Hatake speaking." He answered stoically, that meant work unless his relationship with Rin had rapidly degraded since I'd last heard, scratchy rough commands rang out from the other line as Kakashi nodded in comprehension- I considered highlighting the futility of nodding over the phone but thought against it given Kakashi's suddenly serious demeanour.

"I'll be there in ten." Finished Kakashi after another few moments before he turned a distinctly tired and apologetic eye on me and began to unwrap his bandana, I sighed in understanding, Hinata would at least be relieved at the loss of potential scrutiny.

"You sure you shouldn't rest that eye some more." I commented lightly, Kakashi grinned weakly rising from his seat with a groan.

"If you ever take my advice on anything Sasuke, never blindfold yourself before driving. It's not fun for anyone involved." Laughed the older man as I accompanied him to the door retrieving his jacket and other belongings.

"Tell Rin I said hi old-timer." I told him with my signature crooked grin, he flashed me a grin in turn.

"Will do kid, we'll have to have you over for dinner soon, save you suffering that cooking of yours." Taunted Kakashi lightly making his way down the iron steps, I heard a slight rumble and glanced upward to see the approaching black clouds of a storm on the horizon, I closed and bolted the door surprised to find Hinata right behind me.

"I don't have to go to that dinner do I?" she asked plainly with a look of supreme distaste, I blinked at the unusually strong display of, well not emotion as such…Hina-motion, for her such a statement was a powerful declaration.

"It'd be nice if you came, why what's wrong?" I asked in turn as we returned to the table, poisoning and cagey answers aside Hinata had told me she genuinely liked Kakashi; thought he should be sent to Siberia or the morgue as a precaution but liked none the less.

"I dislike that woman." She muttered, I snorted.

"You and just about everyone else besides Kakashi." I threw back, few people liked Rin after her 'fluffy bunny' routine revealed itself as just that, a routine; this process usually took at most three conversations.

"I don't condone the lies she tells him." She muttered again reaching for her glass and accidently cracking the tumbler into fragments, she then glared at it apparently feeling it's destruction was something of a slight against her.

"Lies…Hinata what have you been up to?" I asked feeling a migraine settle itself firmly in the forefront of my mind, the girl had been up to something again; her eyes glanced away, her lips pursed and a hand darted towards her hair, I repeated my question a slightly more severe edge to my voice now.

"I was 'researching' Kakashi…again. I came across notes from the early days of the implant experiments." Answered Hinata readjusting her glasses in her traditional tick for guilt, I tried not to let the cuteness effect my judgement- researching meant hacking.

"What did you find then?" I asked almost fearing the girls answer, something in the reports had rattled Hinata and that was a worrying concept.

"The earlier drugs for migrating the implants had some…side-effects, among them were infertility." I felt my breath catch and simply stared at her for a couple of tense moments as my mind threatened to implode.

"You mean the baby's…" I trailed off as Hinata nodded, then swore violently and shot to my feet angrily pounding the table as I went.

"Fuck Hinata, damn it…I can't tell him." I ranted as Hinata stared at me with some confusion.

"You don't want to hurt him, shouldn't he know?" she asked with a look I distinctly recognised, it was the look Hinata wore when she was pondering the apparent inconsistency of regular people.

"Of course he should know, but what happens when he asks how I've found out he's bloody infertile without him even knowing." I raved, and he would ask too, Kakashi went coldly cynical under grief operating more like a machine than a man, first he'd verify my information- likely discovering Hinata's origins in his quest- then he'd likely set about the gruesome murdering of the other man or men whatever it may be.

"Maybe he knows and they used a donor." Suggested Hinata, I waved the thought away.

"The kid was an accident, Kakashi is busy as hell in work these days he wanted to wait a few more years at least." I returned, feeling somewhat dizzy now in my anger.

"…I'm sorry Sasuke." It snapped me from my self-obsessed thoughts to hear her voice sounding so sad and apologetic, she wore the look of a kicked puppy and I was quick to pull her into an embrace feeling my anger vanish.

"No, I'm sorry, it's not your fault." I whispered burying my nose in her hair, here I was supposed to be her anchor raving like a lunatic and throwing unfair blame at my most precious person.

So on top of my girlfriend being super human, to an extent emotionally retarded, holding no recollection of her dangerous past and on top of all that potentially having been born in a laboratory I now knew that my guardian was an infertile cuckolded husband whose wife was pregnant by another man.

And Naruto complained about exams.

* * *

Chapter 2 up and done, no action as such but I'm hoping to establish the characters relationships and some more elements of the world before I begin screwing around and killing off characters.

Please leave a review if you've enjoyed, it's always nice to get feedback and to any new readers be sure to check out some of my other stuff, you may enjoy it.

R&R


	3. Fire Proof

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 3;

* * *

Super soldiers or rather EIF's as they were nicknamed, Enhanced Implant Forces, were still highly uncommon despite their proved effectiveness in comparison with both regular soldiers and Rakes for overall effectiveness.

Much of this can be brought down to one factor, choice.

Soldiers are offered the choice to become EIF's they are never ordered to. All except for puritan career soldiers don't even consider the procedure due to the inherent negative effects, the constant pain, the shorter lifespan and the idea that you would no longer be wholly human. Others still avoided it for the additional restrictions, an EIF could only be employed in a military position or with special permission in law enforcement, they also had to attend monthly mental health evaluations and agree to a certain level of constant evaluation- namely a GPS tracking chip implanted alongside each and every implant.

On the other side the military also had their choice. They often desired only the most distinguished combat veterans and those they were interested in to take higher positions…there was also the question of personal dislike, the brass were reluctant to make anyone a super weapon if one of their own thought they were for lack of a better term an ass.

* * *

I rubbed the mist away from the mirror with a snare, tired eyes with heavy black bags stared back at me. I tangled a hand in my still damp hair brushing it back out of view and risked a glance down at the source of my woe.

I'd been having nightmares again and the ugly scar etched into my side was the source of them.

It had paled away to white scar tissue but as I examined the jagged line I could still see flashes of crimson and the face of my assailant, their familiar features twisted into a cruel mask that made them almost unrecognisable.

A sudden knock came at the bathroom door.

"One minute." My words came out in a harsh growl I hadn't intended as my darker emotions spilled through, out of context. I heard Hinata clamber away and sighed tersely, she would assume she'd injured me in some way or form. She could be the world's most committed apologist at times.

I ran a thumb over the old mark, frowned and grabbed my shirt pulling it over my head and covering any sign of the ugly reminder of the ugly past.

I exited the bathroom and began my search for the quiet girl, I finally found her in the kitchen organising the fridge…alphabetically.

"Hinata?" I questioned as the brunette seemed to struggle internally over how to organise the cheeses. She didn't turn to face me but paused in her task for me to speak, I considered what to say but found myself short on words.

"I'm going to Kakashi's. I'll see you later." I offered weakly. I wasn't sure what else to say, for all the time I'd known her I still could barely understand Hinata's stranger actions and reactions. I had no idea what was going on in her mind at the moment or how to ease it and honestly right now I was a little overwhelmed.

She didn't offer any words in return and I left the apartment in a bleak mood. Of course that was to be expected given my destination. A crammed ride on the over rail, a ride on the outdated bus to the Mahon district and a short walk that took me longer than it should have placed me directly outside the Hatake residence.

I eyed the carefully trimmed grass with a snare as the bright cutesy gnomes seemed to offend some deep part of my psyche, with distaste I wondered if the damn things had names...I was somehow certain they did.

I hesitated before strolling up the garden path with heavy legs and rung the sickly chirpy doorbell, honestly I'd been expecting something a little more ominous for the gates of hell and all. Sure enough within moments the door had been pulled open and I was swept in the embrace of the beast- otherwise known as Rin.

Do not vomit in disgust, do not vomit in disgust, I repeated my mantra to myself before the woman released me- I couldn't understand why she had even believed such an intimate gesture would be appropriate between us until I glanced at the beaming face of Kakashi in the background. Yay time to play nice, I resisted the urge to snare and instead returned the greetings perhaps a little tightly.

"You didn't bring your little girlfriend, that's a shame." Mentioned the brunette Hatake with a pout. Oh yes how Rin did love Hinata, assuming of course you ignored the Christmas party where she drunkenly made her opinion that Hinata was most likely a whore trading me sex for board known to the girl. Hinata hadn't actually understood the insult and after I made the mistake of explaining it to her I only barely managed to talk her out of murder- oddly most of the rage had been at the insult to me not the harsher one to herself.

Hinata had been sweet enough to settle for non-lethally poisoning Rin's next drink, that had been pretty funny actually. The girl was quite the aspiring alchemist and a long established sadist.

"She's feeling ill." I returned with a genuine grin as Kakashi stepped closer stretching out a hand for me to shake, I took it somewhat awkwardly before I was led to the dining room. We were only at the table for ten minutes, enough time for small talk, before Kakashi's phone buzzed to life.

"Hatake." Was the silver haired man's one word answer before another voice incomprehensible from where I sat began to crackle I knew with the particulars of a homicide. I saw Rin's face drop and take on the appearance of thunder as Kakashi finished his call with a particularly miserable expression of his own.

"Just go." She whispered as I tried to sink deeper into my chair.

"You know it's his birthday tomorrow." She stated just as the silver haired officer had grabbed his jacket, whatever sadness had been there vanished in a flash to be replaced by a blank mask. For the first time since the call Kakashi afforded me a glance, I suspected because the man they were discussing had been my uncle.

"I'll have to work through the night...and I'll be there in the morning." Offered Kakashi raking a hand through his hair. Can't imagine an all-nighter would help the sickly complexion or the heavy dark bags the man bore. I was also certain Obito would have told him to skip out on the mourning and get some rest instead, I decided to keep that opinion to myself though.

"Sorry Sasuke, next time I promise a longer dinner." Offered the Hatake but I waved him off, I didn't exactly mind the briefness of the affair. Less than two minutes after Kakashi disappearance the Madame of the house shot me a withering glance.

"What are you still doing here?" she questioned sharply…and I had to agree, why was I still here? Obviously the idea of upsetting Rin and potentially keeping her from going to shack up with someone was appealing, but I might slit my wrists if I stay in her company that long.

* * *

"So that's two large pizzas both ham and extra olives?" questioned the voice on the other end of the line, it was distinctly male and yet high pitched buzzing with a forced imitation of the eastern inner city accent.

"And extra cheese." I mumbled back distorting my voice to a slightly deeper grumbling tone, the strange unfamiliar voice at least seemed to amuse my companion.

"No problem, that'll be 19.99. It should be with you in a half hour or so." Answered the voice, noticeably his voice jumped an octave higher at the end of his answer as his accent slipped a little.

"I don't like olives." Grumbled the white eyed girl uncrossing and re-crossing her legs with a pout, it took me a minute to realise she was serious.

"We're not going to eat the pizza Hinata." I returned shoving my beat-up phone into its resting place at the bottom of my pocket, Hinata didn't seem to follow my reasoning however.

"I still don't like them." She muttered lifting herself from the bench and beginning to stretch, I tried not to be too obvious as I felt my eyes drawn to her figure.

"Well, I'll be sure not to use olives in our next plan." I offered receiving a strange hum of approval from the dark haired girl, one of these days I'd get the reasoning behind her embittered feud with the foodstuff.

"10…9…8…7." The girl began to count down under her breath as the sound of a small scooters engine hummed to life somewhere in the distance. I knew what would happen once she reached zero, it would be the exact moment the pizza boy passed our hidden spot beneath the bridge.

"3…2…1…0!" I almost wished I had for the camera to record the elegant twist Hinata performed. She was probably strong enough to have simply clothes lined the kid and I suspected would have preferred to do so, so I knew this display of skill was for my conscious alone. As the kid sped by Hinata spun in the same direction catching his shoulders and pulling him from the bike, twisting him in a wide slowing arc and planting him face first almost gently on the sidewalk as the bike skidded to a halt noisily down the road.

I let out a low whistle and she curtsied clearly pleased with herself. Then she smacked the stunned kid on the back of the head robbing him of conscious thoughts.

"Hopefully he's too confused to remember anything clearly." I commented stepping to the bike and checking to see the damage…the pizzas at least were intact.

"We could kill him, just to be sure." Offered the blue eyed girl, as if that were the logical leap anyone would make under the circumstances though I suspected for once the callous statement may have actually been a joke.

"Or you could practice those wonderful talents of yours." I suggested only slightly uneasily, she grinned revealing the attempt at humour however morbid and began her 'practice'. She pressed her middle and ring fingers against each of the boys temples and with a flash her eyes took on their more ghastly opal tone. For a moment she wore an expression that spoke of her internal questing.

After a moment the life returned to her eyes as they gleamed sapphire once more and she nodded to me, there were no memories of either of us anymore.

"Come on." I half whispered grabbing the pizzas as she relieved the youth of his baggy sauce stained shirt. Time to play our newest hand.

* * *

"Shit." She whispered softly glaring though the window, I had to kick her shin to regain her attention and avoid her catching the eye of anyone particularly watchful in the building.

"Give me the shirt." I ordered taking the pizzas from her. The words earned me a look of thunder and I had to force myself not to back down.

"No." There's isn't exactly room for argument in her voice but that doesn't prevent me from making my point anyway.

"You can't go past that scanner Hinata so we'll switch roles. You cause the distraction and I'll get you what I can from their files." I protested, she did not look convinced. I tried a new route planting a soft kiss on her lips and surprising the girl out of her militant mood.

"Trust me." I prompted watching as something in her expression cracked and she nodded offering me the shirt without protest.

"If you're not out in ten minutes I'm coming in after you." She promised and I knew how she'd do it too. Hinata could be both possessive and violently protective of me.

"Just get me those ten minutes so." I returned caught off guard as she leaned forward a kissed me, pressing her forehead close to mine and whispering what sounded like a reassurance to herself.

We parted ways Hinata striding boldly around the back of the building lighting a cigarette as she went ignoring the various no smoking signs, important ones too as I suspected there was likely some highly flammable items in the area. On the other hand I made my way lazily to the main entrance.

"Got a delivery here…Sandy?" I began somewhat surprised as I read the large heavyset balding securities guards name tag, pretty name I supposed.

"Who for?" he dawdled dully before Hinata made her presence known shouting a lewd word at…well nobody in particular actually but the security guard seemed to decide it was directed at him. As Sandy stepped out of his booth to- rather unprofessionally I thought- return the insult and tell Hinata to leave I used the chance to lean forward and take a glance at the security clearance list.

"Warren Ports, office 318, told me the number was 143482." I deadpanned as I had had the information forced upon me to remember, Sandy shot one more curse at Hinata as she retreated before he checked the information and allowed me through.

I spent maybe five minute feigning loss as I awaited the second distraction. I was relieved when the fire alarm finally went off blaring and sending the employees into a slight panic, I was thankful for their false worries though as nobody saw me slip deeper into the complex.

I didn't know what I was looking for exactly, just that it would look important.

I found it in the form of a heavily barred door with a lone scientist type inside, he worked frantically it seemed transferring files from the main computer onto an external device housed in a suitcase. I had been looking for a terminal or something to download whatever available files I could find relating to the Rakes but this seemed a far sweeter opportunity.

I snuck carefully behind him and once I was within arm's reach I wrapped an arm around his neck in a tight sleeper hold pulling his weight backwards to prevent escape and in a matter of seconds he had passed out. Working quickly and a slight bit haphazardly I finished the man's task removed the device and after wrapping it in a couple of loose jackets and blankets I found in what appeared to be a rest room I dropped it from the second story window aiming for the bushes.

Once my information was 'secure' I entered the second part of my swiftly made and questionable ploy scooping up my victim and sacrificing my zippo lighter to set a nearby office alight. Less than my allotted ten minutes later I burst out of the now actually burning building hauling the scientist with me and slipped from notice before any of the employees could notice the noble pizza boy.

Hinata did not look pleased to say the least, if fact had I not set the building on fire myself I would have attributed the blaze to her glare. Still she followed me tensely to retrieve the device. As she recognised exactly what it was- not that I did- a bright grin lit up her features and she nodded to me a strange expression drawing across her features.

"This earns you something special tonight." She commented not unlike her usual direct self…though some little voice in my head whispered a warning as something cat like danced in her eyes, like a beast before it's kill.

"But you put yourself in danger too…that deserves punishment." She added and I suddenly felt really worried. With Hinata you never could tell what new subculture had spiked her curiosity…I only hoped it didn't involve whips or worse.

* * *

And that's the third chapter for Witch and my third update today, sorry about the infrequency my internet availability hasn't been the best lately and more so I'm still rather attached to my other project Fading.

Anyway let me know how you've found this little chapter.

R&R


	4. Dance Partner

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Adamantyne- Thank you for the correction I've read over the chapter again and have corrected the tenses. Yes I do really need a beta, you know how it is trying to proofread your own work, quite ineffective sadly.

* * *

Chapter - 4;

The IBF or Independent Bio tectonics Firm was a well-established descendant to the contemporaries of Rakes research. In the past they had provided research into similar avenues to Rakes own creations though reportedly they were much less restrained in their designs, perhaps fortunately they were unsuccessful in their attempts.

In more modern times the company had become one of the main providers of implants for military contacts specialising in eye and retina enhancements and otherwise made artificial limbs and medical equipment for commercial use.

There were those whom suspected the company continued the work of their founder however, the work of Isaac Throgs to create those who could make the heavens tremble and quake.

* * *

Hinata had descended into a fevered working pitch absorbing the information we had acquired from the IBF for a fortnight after barely pausing to eat and attend classes…I was starting feel a little snubbed apparently having been replaced by the electronic device.

She had in fact neglected to arrive at school today. I had awoken to discover her gone and almost half way through the day she was still missing in action, no note, phone call or anything. I was actually a little worried about the super powered borderline sociopath.

"Please give a warm welcome to…" I had tuned out the instructors words in favour of my own internal musings and didn't process his current message in the slightest.

"Sasuke Uchiha please raise your hand." I didn't process those words either, and similarly failed to notice them the next three times he repeated them until a classmate elbowed me sharply in the ribs and I finally raised the limb feeling a pleasant mixture of ashamed and embarrassed as the instructor glared darkly at me.

"Please assist Miss Haruno in familiarising herself with our school." Commanded Instructor Eizenhart in a tone that brooked no room for refusal given my earlier behaviour. I offered nothing more than a casually muttered almost mocking 'sure, why not' that didn't quite reach Eizenhart's ears as the new student made her way to the back of the room to steal Hinata's vacant seat next to me.

"Hi." She chirped the perky greeting…barely a word and I already disliked this girl.

"Morning." I dawdled in polite reply subtly taking stock of this foreign encroacher upon my territory. The length of her legs caught my attention- not like that- and I realised the girl was relatively tall having maybe a couple of inches on the already statuesque Hinata and bore an athletic build with a very slight chest that had it not been for her clearly feminine splayed hips and delicate facial features would have made her seem almost masculine. I supposed she was attractive if not either exotic or bizarre depending on an individuals personal leanings.

The pink pigtails caught my eyes quickly enough though and earned a grimace for their painfully bright offensive nature.

"It's dye…I'm not a freak if that's what you're thinking." She intoned misinterpreting my expression, I tried to shift my features to seem apologetic but suspected I may have failed in the attempt.

"I wouldn't mind if you were a freak…just…why pink?" I found myself half apologising and half insulting further, clearly intent on retaining my reputation as socially retarded.

"It's pretty." She defended brightly apparently not put off by my personality.

"It's not." I returned dryly to no visible effect on her ever inanely grinning front. Barely one conversation and I already sought to see the girl leave and never return perhaps even on a long voyage off a short pier.

"Men just don't understand these things." She returned almost sympathetically…as if I were somehow deprived for my inability to see the appeal of the colour pink. A handful of snarl worthy comebacks and stinging quips sprung to my mind but to be honest I was very much past the point of caring.

"Right." I muttered hollowly tuning my new charge out and answering only with the occasional monosyllabic answer usually in the very eloquent form of a grunt. As Sakura, or Mister Pink as I'd taken to referring to her in my mind as, continued to prattle on about both everything and nothing like some demented one man play I allowed my mind to stray once more from the lesson on the importance of amino acids to my missing partner in crime and more or less everything else too.

* * *

Karma it appeared was a bitch.

So maybe I'd played a part in stealing from a pizza boy and damaging his bike, half straggled a scientist, stolen a piece of likely highly expensive technology and set fire to a research building…but really did that warrant this kind of inhumanity.

"1...2...3…1...2…3." Sung Miss Spindle rather off-key as we stepped in time to both her count and the tempo of the song…they were making me waltz. Honestly it wouldn't have been so bad had Hinata been struck here to suffer alongside me but instead I was trapped with my new shadow, the ever perky Haruno, whom I could see awaiting the next inevitable phase of the lesson with unmasked glee.

"Okay boys and girls, partner up." Ordered the wicked witch Spindle as the music came to a jarring stop. Before I could even contemplate grabbing another girl- or making a desperate running dive for the open window- my hand was grasped in the pinkette's surprisingly tight hold and her other hand had snaked it's way over my hip.

I blinked in confusion staring into her far too near gleaming green eyes.

"You intending to lead?" I asked more amused than unhappy. I had expected her to blush or apologise for the mistake and rearrange herself into the correct position, she did not. Instead she stepped in taking the initiative before the music had even started and pressing our bodies together before I stepped back hastily.

"Yes." She finally answered forcing me to move with her rhythm…fantastic now I was being emasculated too. The torture didn't last particularly long though as I felt powerful hands rip us apart none to gently.

"Mine." Hissed a familiar voice and I was more than a little pleased to see an absolutely livid Hinata attempting to stare down the taller girl. Well I was pleased until my sense of imminent danger burst to life and I tried to calm the girl slightly by gently laying a hand on her tense shoulder and grasping her pale tightly clenched fist.

"Miss Kendal, you're late." Remarked the voice of Miss Spindle as she noticed the commotion caused by said late arrival. Hinata didn't bother to answer seemingly content with glaring at the still cheerful Sakura Haruno, though it also could have been that agitated as she was Hinata hadn't recognised the use of her own fabricated last name.

"Well I'm afraid you can't dance with Mister Uchiha today he already has a partner. However Mister Hozuki is missing a partner." Explained Miss Spindle I thought almost smugly, it had been apparent for a while now she held something of a dislike for Hinata and I supposed took some joy in this unwanted arrangement. Suigetsu for his part swaddled up happily next to my girlfriend sending me a wink as he did so, I allowed him a vicious grin in return.

Spindle made the mistake of looking away.

Hinata's leg seemed to blur as it lashed out striking Suigetsu's knee with an audible crack.

"My partner's hurt and can't dance 'Sir'." Announced Hinata using the title I knew others before had used to rile up the shorthaired chemistry/dance teachers temper, that said though she hardly noticed the jib instead falling upon the schools star sports student with the now likely broken or fractured leg shouting out cries for someone to get the nurse.

"Well Hinata shall we dance?" questioned Sakura to my confusion offering a hand to Hinata with for the first time an expression besides blissful stupidity marring her features. An almost predatory grin revealed her pearly white teeth and I wondered how many would remain after this challenge to Hinata. The dark girl simply removed her glasses and cracked her neck a particularly cold look in her eyes.

I didn't wait to see the results stepping through the middle and pulling Hinata away from the growing crowd that had begun to surround Suigetsu. I tried to ignore the unsettling feeling of Sakura's eyes on my back as we made it out of the gymnasium.

"Fucking bitch!" Swore Hinata sharped re-donning her glasses with more force than I thought strictly necessary before much to my surprise she drew a pack of cigarettes from her skirt pocket and lit one of the offensive things.

"When the hell did you start smoking." I asked confused, we spent practically all of our time together- I had to lock the bathroom door to keep her out half the time- and it seemed strange that such a habit could have went unnoticed. I had been certain her use of a cigarette in our last adventure had been her first and only time to actually come into physical contact with one.

"This morning, all girls my age do it." She answered, I barely held a worryingly mommy like return of 'so if all the girls were jumping off a bridge' style retort and instead sighed and wrapped and arm over her shoulders…this was hardly the weirdest or most jarring change she'd suddenly pulled over the years, actually this one was refreshingly normal.

"They're not supposed to though." I returned in a tone more playful than scolding, it didn't help Hinata's mood though.

"So who is she?" was her pressed question as we came to a stop in one of our usual spots beneath a low hanging stooped willow tree, I kissed her forehead in a gesture of comfort and I hoped reassurance.

"Just some transfer student…with personal space issues." I answered as we settled down onto the still damp grass. I sacrificed my jacket in hopes of keeping our bottoms dry. Hinata continued wearing her dark frown however, tossing the distant gym the occasional dark look.

"And where have you been all morning?" I asked brushing a stray lock of soft ebony hair from her eyes and hoping to refocus her attention while at the same time sate my own curiosity, as usual Hinata did not disappoint.

"I've been acquiring blackmail material." She answered, it took a moment before I registered the words and another still before I figured out exactly which question I should put to her first.

"On who?" I asked knowing that had I simply asked 'why' Hinata would have responded with 'for blackmail' as what she would have believed as a perfectly appropriate answer to my question.

"Rin." She answered reclining into me with a yawn that had me wondering just how early she had set out this morning.

"Why?" I asked reflexively. There were plenty of things I wanted to do to Rin, namely tie her to a stake and burn her as a witch, but blackmail had never sprung to mind.

"To blackmail her." She answered sleepily, so much for me making good use of my foresight into her responses.

"To what end Hinata?" I tried again as she shifted around into a more comfortable position her head cradled in my lap, it made it quite difficult to be either frustrated or exasperated with the adorable demi-goddess.

"We can't tell Mister Kakashi ourselves so we'll blackmail her for awhile, getting her frazzled and Kakashi suspicious. Then we'll arrange to hand over the blackmail once and for all but we'll tip Kakashi off so he finds her just as she does gets it." Mumbled the brunette snuggling deeper into my lap rather kitten like with another yawn, I was too stunned however at the breath of her plan and its potential to free Kakashi from his cursed bonds.

"How'd you come up with that?" I asked quietly, my last question before I allowed the exhausted girl her well-deserved rest. She smiled almost wistfully.

"I read it in a book." She offered proudly.

That's reassuring.

* * *

Hinata had acquired phone records, copies of emails and chat website history, falsified what looked like an aspiring medical students research paper detailing the effects- including impotence- of several chemical compounds used in the EIF creation process, another document which seemed to allude to a member of one of the science departments selling his secrets to the news and finally pictures and a recording of Rin with a mysterious gentleman…I was not allowed to see this video or the pictures under Hinata's strict 'no looking at nude bimbos!' policy.

All in all I wasn't impressed, this was Hinata, she just did this kind of stuff…and then done something utterly airheaded in a strange balancing act, like flood the apartment by leaving the tap on in the bath.

"You always said you liked the water." Commented the brunette, I felt my eyebrow twitch slightly.

"I meant the sea, lakes and rivers…not this." I responded eying the distinctly ruined carpet and some of the malfunctioning electronics as a workman moved around inspecting the damage with a critical eye. I could hear Kakashi speaking on his cell phone just outside the door, we'd barely gotten our less legal possessions hidden before he had arrived.

"Well you should be more clear in the future." Hinata suggested and I laughed a little at her smiling easy going countenance but not because of her words. The poor thing hadn't comprehended the inevitable result of the flooding.

"You know we're going to have to stay with Kakashi right?" I asked, she had not. Her expression fell almost audibly, I could understand easily enough. Not only did she despise Rin but she ranked Kakashi as a high level threat to her false identity.

"We can't." she announced quickly enough.

"Oh do you have money for a hotel?" I asked taking maybe a little too much vengeful satisfaction in teasing the distressed girl.

"I'll rob a bank." Answered Hinata with barely a seconds hesitation. I raised an eyebrow in return.

"Yeah, that's much less risky." I deadpanned with a particularly lacklustre dawdle as the weary detective stepped back into the soggy apartment with a light laugh at Hinata's exaggerated heartbroken expression, he probably attributed it to the damp and not the threat of his company.

"Looks like you'll be with us for almost a week kiddo." Announced Kakashi actually seeming somewhat happy with the idea. Of course he had always wanted me to stay with him, at first though I just hadn't been ready to stay with anyone and later I had Hinata and we had to keep our distance. I think it might have wounded the man a little.

"Great." I returned actually succeeding in keeping any trace of sarcasm from my voice, Hinata's grimace earned another small laugh from the silver haired man.

"Now now, it won't be that bad." Soothed Kakashi clapping a hand on Hinata's shoulder I noted to her increased discomfort.

"Come on, I need to stop by a crime scene before we go home." Explained Kakashi leading us out into the crisp night air and to his car. Another murder, I was beginning to wonder exactly how violent this city was. This was the third time now in a row I'd seen Kakashi that he'd needed to go to a crime scene directly afterwards.

* * *

"I smell blood." Commented Hinata morbidly as we sat in the back of Kakashi's sedan awaiting him to finish inspecting the scene himself and assign his officers in whenever way these things went.

"Kakashi's in charge of Homicide." I returned with a shrug, it stood to reason that whatever he was investigating would involve blood in one way or another but Hinata shook her head.

"No this isn't normal, there are other smells too. Burnt flesh, sexual fluids, sex products and other things." Remarked Hinata scrunching up her nose in distaste. That was some sense of smell she had there.

"Sounds like a twisted way to go." I offered in turn, as a general rule I preferred not to mix fire and sex whenever possible.

"I think I was involved." She intoned quietly and quickly catching me off-guard with the strange sentence.

"You wanna try that one again." I shot to her, she had the decency to look apologetic for the briefest of moments before she answered.

"Someone like me I mean, maybe with fire where I have the electric charge." She explained before she reached around the seat in front of her and began routing around Kakashi's car in search before unleashing a pleased 'aha'.

"What'd you find, and please don't say Kakashi's back up gun." I muttered dryly before glancing at the file my girlfriend now held. I had to steel my nerves immediately to prevent my natural reaction to gag and vomit.

There were five cases in total each bearing a photograph of a body horribly mutilated and severely burned. Together we skimmed through the files scant little information. There was nothing in common between the victims, ethnicity, age and gender all seemed at random. The first victim had been a forty seven year old dentist, Caucasian and male. The second was a twenty six year old weather girl, both Asian and female. The third was a twenty three year old male graduate student of African descent. The forth was a white stay at home dad aged thirty two, the first married victim. The Fifth had been a fourteen year old Latino girl. And the sixth was the current case, no doubt with a victim completely unique and connectable. Hinata nodded at the information though as if it were entirely expected.

"They're searching for something, that's why the chosen targets are so different. These are pot shots." Explained Hinata at my look of confusion.

"Looking for what?" I asked still very much confused, as no doubt Kakashi was. Random attacks of violence were impossible to predict and as a result they were difficult to trace or prevent. No motive no connection.

"I don't know, maybe for what we have." Suggested the dark girl with a sombre frown as she eyed me carefully and I thought protectively.

"Would you have done things like this?" I found myself asking with baited breath.

"Now, no. But I have no idea what I'd have become without you. Maybe I would have been just like this Rake, looking for someone I couldn't kill under the assumption that would be my partner." It was one of the longer sentences I had heard her speak and when she finished I drew her into a tight embrace and tried to forget that she had said maybe.

* * *

And that's it for chapter 4, hope you all are enjoying.

R&R


	5. Pandemonium

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 5;

* * *

There were no longer countries simply lettered Regions, and there were no longer city names only numbers. Life had become more like an equation under the new regime.

Cities were all built uniformly. Each one possessed twenty four residential districts- sixteen numbered for the poorer classes and eight named districts for the well off. There were the other districts one would expect, business, shopping and recreation and such making up a city centre. An over rail hovered menacing over the city interconnecting the twenty four districts and the centre. Seven subway systems ran beneath the city networked in groups of four districts for one station and one for the centre too. Of course in each and every city there was also the Pandemonium.

Most city centres were split in some way by a river, it was beneath the bridges on the concrete bordering these rivers that Pandemonium existed. It was where the outcaste Rakes more often than not found themselves living. It was a lawless place prone to police and mob raids but never tamed by them.

It was an area only fools and death seekers would dare to enter.

* * *

"You're sure you wouldn't rather kill her?" asked Hinata sweetly as we made the final touches to our small gift to Rin. I sent a glare her way in answer…she'd promised to stop making that suggestion on the train ride here.

Our class was on a field trip to see the 'impressive' natural History museum in city 14. Which I supposed was in itself interesting given that natural history was the only history the public got to see any real record of, but Hinata and I had better things to do. Namely sending Rin her blackmail material, it just seemed wiser to have it sent to her from a different city to avoid suspicions.

"We could make it look like a suicide, leave these pictures lying around the body forge a small note-" I cut off the dark girl in her increasingly gleeful plotting, though I couldn't help note how cute she looked in her cheerful excited state…assuming I overlooked the homicidal undertones of course.

"Nata, no murdering." I whispered in mock exasperation, it was tricky faking being so entirely against the idea. I knew though if I appeared even slightly doubtful the sweet sociopath would take it as permission to do me the favour my conscious prevented me from asking for.

"What about an accident?" she prompted utterly serious. I had to laugh, and quieted myself a moment later when the other office occupants glanced at me in disapproval.

"No accidents either, now is this thing clean?" I asked gesturing to the bulky envelop we'd been carefully gluing stamps to…if anyone bothered to ask I figured we'd claim to be germ phobic to explain away the plastic gloves though the alibi was proving unnecessary amongst the apathetic passers-by.

"Yes." She answered with a pout, clearly disappointed I was going with her nonviolent plan. Of course given my plans for later today I could hardly be absolved as completely sane myself.

"Come on we've got some time before the tour finishes." I prompted taking the girls plastic dressed hand in my own after we'd posted our latest gambit. Whatever dark entity seemed to swell in her when she discussed darker topics I always took solace in these moments where it washed completely from her expression.

She squeezed my hand gently and smiled serenely the glinting sunlight on her glasses and I smiled back.

* * *

"So why are we here again Sasuke?" questioned my companion and I again wondered at the wisdom of taking him along with me. Naturally the idea that I was one upping him in some way had been enough to fuel his own action. Actually he'd strong armed his way into joining me.

"Adventure, aren't you curious?" I threw back perhaps a little weakly aware of how insane I was likely coming across to the blonde at the moment, we passed a pot-bellied man with deformed looking arms that dangled down past his knees.

"Not that curious." Answered the blonde something behind me clearly catching his attention. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a woman that could have been beautiful with her high cheekbones and golden hair…if not for the third eye set in her forehead. She smiled and I returned the gesture with no small amount of worry. She flickered out a delicate hand and beckoned us over and while I was clever enough to feign missing the gesture Naruto was not.

I left him there figuring that it was probably for the best. He couldn't get into that much trouble here at the fringes.

I pulled up the hood to disguise my as it were too natural features as colours and shapes began to take a turn for the bizarre. I passed a pair of women I noted with only mild surprise bore a rabbit-like anatomy, fuzzy tails and long ears. A gargantuan man sat between the two, bulky hairy and too long gorilla arms wrapped around the women that I supposed were sisters. This was The Zoo I thought, where the Rakes that were descended of the animal types lived.

The people- I was probably one of the few who would actually consider them such- seemed to take a particular pleasure in imitating the animals they were related to. A slightly chubby woman with heavy beasts and striped skin knelt on all fours a man with an immense bread, sharp fangs and a bulging gut behind her humping away in fervour. I averted my eyes from the sight hoping I wouldn't see any more similar sights in my quest but the pants and wet noises in the crowds around me told me I'd best leave the animal district if I wanted to avoid such things.

Sex apparently wasn't the only indulgence in the area as I saw a scarlet flash in the shadows as two mutated men battled over something, a woman maybe, or food. Or perhaps just out of boredom.

I felt a grip like iron tighten around my arm and wrench me around, before I could process what was happening I was pushed against a wall and two hands pinned my wrists, my captures head had buried itself in the crook of my neck and I heard a sniffing noise before a sandpaper like tongue flickered out and lapped at my skin.

"Follow me boy. Your type shouldn't be here." The woman hissed pulling me along and deeper through the patchwork village, we exited the Zoo much to my relief into a more civilised region. The buildings weren't as randomly or haphazardly placed. The woman pulling me finally allowed us to stop, only breathing lightly as I struggled from the pace we had set. She guided us down a small alley into a blue silver tent.

Several faces peered at me in curiosity, including the woman who'd brought me here. The woman I noticed clearly came from the line of a Rake mixed with cat DNA, her eyes where almond shaped and a bright gold and triangular ears poked out of her dark trusses of tangled hair. I even noticed a long dark tail wrapped around her taunt bare legs the end twitching and swaying in a visual sign of her curiosity, she went bare foot and wore little, high shorts and a top that barely covered her large bust.

"He's cute." Commented a younger girl or I assumed she was younger anyway as I couldn't really tell the cat woman's age. The girl was probably a year younger than I was and not of the animal family of Rakes. Her skin held a pale green hue and her eyes blazed a fiery green the entranced me for a moment, I noticed her fingers seemed slightly webbed and her entire body was thin but toned with liquid steel muscle. She'd be of the elemental family, Rakes designed with a terrain in mind, hers obviously being water. She decided to poke me and pulled away my hood for a better look.

"He's a brat, why'd you bring him here?" questioned the only man in the room. An overclocked type muscles bulged from everywhere over his body and I didn't doubt he could break me in a physical fight. He marched away and out of a back entrance in his apparent disgust.

"Um who are you?" I asked hoping to do something to state my own curiosity, golden and green eyes blinked at me before smiles stretched across the Rakes' bizarre features.

"You're a strange one, thinking Rakes deserve names." Remarked the cat woman tilting her head to the left in a manner that had me reminded of Hinata when she was trapping someone, I didn't like it.

"I'm Finna, and you?" remarked the younger of the two clasping my hand in her own smaller two. I was surprised at the nature of her voice, lower and huskier than someone her age should have had and I believed lower than she did in fact as it rang with the hollow sense of fraud.

"Obito." I spoke easily, had Kakashi heard my choice of false name he might well of shot me but I thought it a fitting tribute to my trickster Uncle, no doubt the man would have enjoyed both the incredulous situation and the noble reasoning behind it.

"It's an ugly name…I'm gonna call you...Shadow." Remarked the older but clearly still childish woman, strange to have your fake name insulted I thought, how does one react to that.

"Should I give you a name then too?" I asked the feline woman a little tensely allowing a slight snarl to trail along my features.

"Call me Selina, I don't need two names." She answered, I shame I thought seeing as I had so many to spare at this point, she strode away towards a small bar in the corner of the tent but not before her tail flickered out and ghosted a certain part of me in what I doubted was an accident if her wink was anything to go on. Finna pulled me along to sit in an uncomfortable formerly cushioned chair and then much to my confusion she settled herself into my lap.

"Mmm you're warm. Gets cold around here you know." She commented wiggling around until she was comfortable in my lap, I considered my options. I could force her off me but even gently I'd likely offend her and ruin any chance I had at gaining information.

"Selina's better but if you like green I'm your girl." It took me a minute to comprehend the girls words and once I did I bolted upright, Finna fortunately didn't fall as such instead she half dangled from her grip around my neck. She was surprisingly light and I didn't struggle with the weight.

"I'm not here for that." I hissed drawing a raised eyebrow from the blonde girl, she finally allowed her feet to touch the ground for a second before she shoved me backward and once more she was in my lap kicking her legs. Inwardly I whined to myself wondering if every woman I came across was going to manhandle me. Selina leaned on the ugly bar sipping a pink sugary looking drink seeming even more curious than her friend.

"So what are you here for Obito?" questioned Finna drawing a hissed correction of 'Shadow' from Selina, she continued to kick her legs girlishly in a manner I found both endearing and painful given the girls place in life.

"Information." I answered honestly, I expected them to recoil but they still only seemed interested, awaiting further elaboration on what it was I sought.

"There's a killer, I think they're a Rake, I'm looking for any information on them." I explained, I considered mentioning Hinata but didn't. If at all possible I wanted to keep her as far as I could from this place.

"Don't you read the papers Shadow? All Rakes are killers." Returned Selina stalking around the bar closer to us. Despite her words though I didn't sense any real anger from her, in fact I thought she was testing me, playing the devil's advocate.

"Maybe I can't read." I answered drawing a bitter grin from the woman as she slurped away the last of her drink.

"I can't read, but I'm not stupid. You can read, and despite it you're not stupid either." Returned the cat woman petting my head in a strange gesture of affection.

"You smell of a Rake. You wanna stop this one in case it tries to find your one. Right?" continued Selina proving she certainly was a clever one especially aided by whatever abilities she had as a Rake descendant. I heard a light snore from bellow my chin and realised the other girl had fallen asleep in my lap.

"She's right about the cold you know." I heard Selina mummer stroking the girls hair affectionately.

"I like the way you smell but I still wanna be paid for this information. This sort of talk is dangerous." I was probably unfairly surprised at the woman's strength as she easily lifted Finna and deposited her on a nearby cot, she whined a little in the new position. I hesitated a moment before I stripped off my jacket and draped it over the girl, Selina's gold eyes watched me intensely.

"That's two hundred credits, tell me whatever that's worth." I told Selina sliding the papers across the bar as she rounded the other side and prepared another drink for herself, and one for me too actually.

"There were plenty of stories a while back, bout a place like ours with something of a darker twist. Folks that went there weren't looking for fun, they wanted a Rake to dominate them. Smack 'em around, humiliate them a little and after they were all chewed up they'd fuck. Not for everyone but who am I to judge. Problems came though when one of the…performers started going too far." Explained Selina pushing the drink to me, I decided that I needed it given some of the things she was telling me about. Hinata probably wouldn't have blinked but I had my limits and lacked more than a little in world experience.

"A lot around here are content with their places believe it or not. Most of the rest wouldn't pass for naturals and survive out in the open city. The kid I heard about though, they would." Continued the cat woman swirling her drink absently and baring a fair amount of cleavage to me I succeeded in ignoring after an initial glance at my drink revealed it.

"Kid's a year older than you I'd wager, I never did find out if it was a man or a woman. Blonde hair, blue eyes, sort of short for a guy or sort of tall for a woman. They're a Rake so they'll be conditioned to the water in the lower parts. They'll live in a lower district." She finished grabbing the crumbled notes off the counter and giving them a quick count. I thanked her and took my leave.

* * *

When I found Naruto I was unsurprised to see he'd settled himself rather strangely into the group he'd been absorbed into.

He was playing a card game I could scarcely determine the rules of, and I suspected neither could Naruto given how he was now emptying the last money from the confines of his frog wallet and when that failed to cover his bet he stripped his coat and tossed it on the table too.

Naturally he lost the hand.

We walked back to town under a sudden down pour of rain both coatless with only a thin hoody to protect us from the torrential rains. I had dug my own grave teasing Naruto about his losses as he quickly attributed my own missing jacket to a similar failing.

The banter lasted all the way till we reached the coffee bar, Rosa's, underneath the over rail station closest to our school and as it were the bridge.

"What happened to your coats?" asked Hinata over her steaming coffee as we stomped dripping over to her table. Her expression was of utmost worry as she doted on us, the matron Rosa offering us some dry towels under the promise we would eat there.

"Naruto's bad at cards." I commented in the same moment Naruto delved into an elaborate tale involving murderers, conmen and rather strangely the appearance of a vampire dragon…in fact by the time he finished he'd forgotten to include the loss of our coats at all. I was more amusing to see Hinata however interrogate him about the holes in his story with the utmost seriousness all the while ignoring the vampire dragon for more subtle errors.

"You're alright?" whispered the Hyuuga conspiratorially into my ear as she forced me into the seat and towelled my hair. I knew she didn't care about the information right now, that would come later. Right now she only cared that I was alright.

"Yeah." I breathed back clasping a hand over her own with a smile.

* * *

Witch chapter five up and done, unfortunately shorter than I'd like but at the same time I'm quite lacking in time these days and would rather avoid long gaps in the story.

As every let me know your opinions, it always helps me improve.

R&R


	6. Frosty Talks

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 6;

* * *

The Zoo in Pandemonium is the home of the oldest type of Rakes and as it were the least stable of them.

The animal Rakes were the first generation created using inspiration from the natural world, they were hybrids of Humans and animals. Unlike most forms of Rakes whom found themselves bearing little more than apathy and sociopathic tendencies the Animal Rakes suffered from an opposite problem. Certainly they appeared alike in their inability to comprehend natural human society but that was more due to the strong presence of their animal natures.

The first animal Rakes were said to be shape shifters capable of appearing either completely human, completely animal or a hybrid form. Their descendants aren't so versatile however, over the generations they lost the ability to appear completely animal or human and instead were trapped in their hybrid form. With further time and breeding the hybrid state itself changed slowly appearing more and more human until most modern Animal Rakes only possess a handful of softened animal features and little of the truly beastly nature of their ancestors.

Modern Animal Rakes may fight and fornicate in public but they were a far cry from their predecessors whom dined on raw flesh and were only ever employed to white wash an area. Animal Rakes during the war period couldn't tell friend from foe and were often brought down by those that deployed it though slow acting poison after they were released behind enemy lines.

Still even todays Animal Rakes were to be feared. The stronger animal variants, went unmatched in strength and agility even compared to other Rake types and they were well acknowledged as more territorial and likely to anger and attack than they're apathetic brothers and sisters.

* * *

Three more days I told myself, three more days and the apartment would be useable again.

Kakashi had somehow actually acquired a day off for once and while I was happy to spend time with the old man it wasn't going exactly well.

We were having a barbeque in the local park with Naruto and his Godfather Jiraiya. If there was anyone Rin hated more than Hinata it was Jiraiya, the white haired self proclaimed ladies man had abandoned his shirt at some point when nobody had been keeping an eye on him and now stood leering at a pair of middle-aged blondes a beer grasped in one hand and a copy of his own book in the other. I'd seen him attempt this gambit more than a few times, trying to impress some women with his 'hot bod' and notoriety.

It rarely worked, most likely cause his bod was ruined by a beer belly and his novel was an erotic one.

Kakashi manned the grill grinning inanely and heedless or the growing danger in his party, Rin in particular had taken to trying to redress the spirited Jiraiya as he in turn decided to tease her, Naruto entered the fray too in Jiraiya's aid. It was sort of awkward really, I'm pretty sure Naruto actually liked Rin but he did so it the same manner that he liked me.

"Hey grandma let him have some fun." Called the blonde earning a snake like hiss and a vicious glare from Rin as she seemed to have a hard time deciding which direction she wanted to cast her rage in.

"Got any threes?" I asked dully, Hinata shook her head and I drew a card, from the corner of my eye I noticed the young Uzumaki fleeing from the wrathful Hatake woman. I was silently surprised at how fast she could run and if his panicked shouts were anything to go by so was Naruto.

"Sevens? Do you think she received her gift yet?" asked the pale girl a slight smile on her face, more likely at the thought of Rin's internal strife and current woes than the picnic itself. I handed over my seven.

"I'd say so, she has been especially on edge these last few days. What was it she called you the other day?" I answered considering my next move carefully, we were playing to decide what movie we were going to watch tonight and Hinata's choices tended to be well…last time it was a recorded university lecture on advanced trigonometry.

"A low class, disease filled harlot." Spoke Hinata easily, I nodded a little tightly. She mightn't care for an insult against her own person but I certainly still did. Something flashed in the girls eyes and I questioned it immediately.

"Hatake just answered his phone and walked off. He looked scared." She answered confused. I couldn't blame her, it wasn't as if she had the best detection skills when it came to emotions and the idea of a frightened Kakashi was…well frightening in itself.

"Let's follow him." Suggested the quiet girl in a conspiratorial whisper. I agreed, in no small amount because I could later claim she'd forfeited the game and pick the movie. A quick glance revealed Rin busy lecturing and I suspected threatening to publicly spank a pale Naruto and Jiraiya busy spinning some story to a busy redhead with a face that you could decorate tombstones wite.

Kakashi hadn't moved too far away but enough that it was obvious he didn't want to be heard, he was sat on a child's swing quietly absorbed in whatever the voice on the phone was saying it seemed. Hinata led the way and we entered the nearest cover, a small plastic toy house…I wondered if we were caught would Kakashi buy that we were just playing house.

"It has been a while I've just…I've been busy." Spoke the Hatake apologetically with a deep sigh. I wondered who it was that had Kakashi acting so strange.

"No, I've got a wife now, I've got Rin." I heard Kakashi speak quietly in surprisingly weak protest, it certainly sounded a little suspicious. If this was an old lover of his then only one name sprung to my mind, the crazy snake owning Anko. I shivered recalling how she's explained the difference between her two snakes to me, the python was a hugger and the cobra liked to kiss. Kakashi laughed darkly.

"I don't want to see you, I mean it." Pushed the Hatake force in his voice that felt more forced than genuine as he stood and stalked away clicking the phone off. When I glanced at Hinata she had a strange grin spread over her lips.

"What?" I asked unable to help myself smile lightly back at her, damn contagious cute girl.

"Now Kakashi will have someone after he divorces Rin." She commented happily, apparently unaware of all the problematic undertones ghosting the whole situation. That Kakashi mightn't necessarily leave Rin, that he didn't seem too thrilled to see Anko and that normal people didn't function so simply.

"…I guess so." I answered softly shifting my knees awkwardly as they pressed against the small table of the plastic house. Hinata glanced around the tiny alcove and her brow furrowed in deep thought before she fixed me with a considerate expression.

"Can we live here until the apartments ready?" asked the brunette with a care free smile, and I feared she genuinely meant her words too.

* * *

"Remind me again why I thought you'd actually strained your ankle." I groaned out as the girl trailed a line of wet kisses down my neck. We were supposed to be in PE class now running our laps like good little students. Still a small voice in the back of my head did whisper that this was a far more enjoyable form of cardio.

"You're a worrier." She hissed in between nipping at my neck. She was right of course, when it came to her I was worse than most mother hens, of course it went both ways. When it came to my health Hinata's wrath was worse than most military powers.

"And you're a delinquent." I joked borrowing Miss Spindles favoured title for my girlfriend. A snarl reached my ears as Hinata bit just a little too sharply I knew as punishment. She'd just about reached the drawstring of my shorts when the noise of the door opening alerted us to another presence.

Excuses began to run through my head ranging from the sensible to the outright ridiculous. Naturally I figured as long as the hickeys Hinata had been trying to give me weren't visible yet I come claim to have just helped her in with her injured ankle.

Hinata of course reacted more instinctively. In a second she'd gripped my shirt collar and in another I was firmly stuffed into her locker…it was a very good thing I wasn't claustrophobic, and that the locker had air vents.

Through the small gaps I saw the newcomer dump her things onto the bench across from Hinata, her back was turned but her Amazonian statue and the soft pink hair tied in a high ponytail revealed her identity to me instantly. I averted my eyes as she began to strip from her uniform but glanced back suddenly as she began to speak getting a full view of the pink love heart panties she wore...wow I even disliked her choice of underwear.

"I can smell him you know, what a naughty girl you are." Called the pinkette twisting and giving Hinata a dirty look as she placed her hands on her hips seeming a scolding figure if not for the fact she wore only her underwear, though that bra seemed little more than decoration.

"Smell who?" asked the marginally shorter darker girl in a tone I thought was distinctly mocking, I noticed her shift her weight slightly to block the vents and realised in embarrassment I'd been staring even if it hadn't aroused my interest, well sexual interest.

"You know who. It's not right, someone like him shouldn't be with someone like you." Snapped the pinkette still out of view. I saw the muscles in Hinata's back tighten as she bristled and then loosen unnaturally and I knew what that meant was coming next. Her speed was as incredible as ever as she lunged forward a strike poised to take off Sakura's head. I considered shouting a warning or something but I knew it'd be useless, I couldn't do anything locked up like this.

I didn't need to it seemed as the pinkette moved deftly twisting around Hinata and using her momentum to push the brunette against the opposite lockers. I saw the muscles in her back tighten and realised that that hadn't just been Sakura using Hinata's own strength against her, she was holding a struggling Hinata in place right now with her brute strength alone.

"Carefully Hini, you might get hurt throwing your weight around like that." Commented the taller girl before her shoulders dipped and I heard a soft puck. It was a final insult I thought, a friendly little kiss of death. Hinata was released and hit the ground with a thud spluttering for breath.

"Next time be a good girl okay little sis." Warned the pinkette grabbing her things and exiting apparently uncaring of her lack of dress. I didn't wait as long as I should have to be certain she was gone, once the footsteps faded I began striking at the locker door. Knees, kicks and elbows and after what felt like dozen of each the lock gave way.

I collapsed out onto the tiled floor with a crash and crawled quickly over to my still hacking girlfriend and tried to assess the damage, which wasn't easy as she pulled me into a tight embrace once I was within arms-reach.

"I need...to get...a gun." Muttered the brunette her eyes flickering white for a brief second, I wondered myself at her lack of a transformation during Sakura's pin. In theory I guessed it could have been the choke, gasping for air she mightn't have been able to summon the strength or concentration to change. It might have been a good thing she hadn't been able to.

* * *

We had ducked out of classes for the rest of the afternoon and gathered in a back room of Roses to try and come to terms with what we knew and what we were going to do next.

"She's like me too." Announced Hinata, her neck was still a raw red were Sakura had pinned her, she cradled her right arm tenderly. I'd seen the wound there, at only a glance it looked like a burn.

"Do you think she's the killer?" I asked somewhat hopeful. As bad as that would be discovering the killer had been tracking us far better than we her it was better than the alternative, that there were two Rakes of Hinata's level maybe even stronger roaming the city.

"No, this proves she isn't." grimaced Hinata gesturing to her bandaged forearm, I took a careful hold of the limb by her wrist and elbow so as not to hurt her further. Hinata was so used to being near invincible I guessed pain was an alien concept to her. I mentioned it appeared to be a burn, fitting our killer rather perfectly.

"Just looks a little like that. She did it with the cold, this is frost bite." Answered Hinata shifting her weight on the couch to rest her head on my shoulder, she curled her legs in and for a moment seemed very small and delicate.

"Fire and Ice…" I trailed off not wanting to say the rest of the obvious deduction.

"And Electricity. Whomever made me, they made more." She whispered squeezing my hand. I knew the turmoil it was likely causing the usually emotionless girl, this was the closest thing she had to a family. A murderer and a pink haired lunatic that she would in all likelyhood have to kill to defend herself.

"You're not like them." I found myself whispering back drawing the girl closer into a protective embrace. The moment wouldn't last long I knew, these rare moments when her buried humanity shun though completely. I wanted to enjoy it.

"I need to get an x-ray. Then we need a gun...Sakura at least is stronger than me, I might be faster but I'm not sure." Commented Hinata still curled up on my lap but with more of the old authority in her tone, I stroked a stray lock of hair and asked her why.

"I'm too heavy to be natural, I want to see if there's any internal armour or protection." Answered the pale girl stretching out and sitting up a moment later as Rose entered with a coffee for me and green tea with some abdominal looking pastry for Hinata. I thanked her flashing a soft smile as my girlfriend went about emptying half a dozen packets of sugar into her tea.

"I've got no idea where we'll get a gun though…and we're not stealing any of Kakashi's." I commented as Rose left us on our own once more, the disappointment that entered the girls eyes told me that had been precisely her plan.

"That's okay, I've another plan anyway." Something in the way she phrased it had me suspicious that I might just prefer trying to steal from Kakashi.

* * *

I really do need to start writing Fading length chapters for this fic but it's sort of developed its own choppier pace I don't want to change. Weird.

Anyway let me know what you think as usual or the bogeyman will steal all your socks.

R&R


	7. Rainy Days

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 7;

* * *

The Enviros were the second generation of Rakes successfully created during the war. They were more restrained in their design and featured far less impressive combat prowess than their animalistic brethren with severely reduced strength and slightly reduced speed. They migrated these disadvantages however in their ability to retain their minds and make use of tactics and fighting techniques.

The main theory behind Enviros Rakes was that they be adapted to have an advantage in certain areas. Some animal DNA was used to give certain Enviros jungle camouflage, advanced swimming capabilities, overclocked muscles for climbing and even attempts to make Rakes suited for radioactive hot zones.

Enviros were typically the least emotional of the Rake families as a result of them following the overly emotional Animal Rakes. They were also the least dangerous of their own having little imagination or free thinking abilities. They held rigidly to the letter of the law and obey authority figures without hesitance.

Trouble often only arose from them under the influence of a corrupt authority or under vague easy to misinterpret orders. Contradictions also ran the risk of sending them into a frenzy.

* * *

Not that long ago I would have told you I quite enjoyed the rain. There was a certain atmosphere that came with a cool down pour that made things seem fresher and cleaner the air especially. And in the grimy city the sound of heavy drops of crystalline water breaking against the tin and the slate of the roofs made for the gentle melancholy tune I'd fallen in love with Hinata to in our early days and I guess that made me a little bit in love with it too.

That said though at this moment I truly despised the rain.

I'd come here today as I sometimes did when I was looking for direction, for guidance. I wiped down the grey stones that marked my parents resting place and knelt before them. I didn't speak, I never did. The first time I'd tried it my voice had cracked with emotion, a disgusting weakness I'd promised myself to abandon. So I stayed silent and just concentrated on breathing for a little while, then I left no more aware than before, just a little sadder.

Uncle Obito's grave was always next, there always seemed to be less pressure there. The shadows not as long the air not as thick nor heavy with old anger and sorrow. I told him about things in a perverse play on how things would have been in life. Couldn't talk to my parents so I spoke to the cool uncle instead. Might have been a little funny if it weren't so damn pathetic.

I'd come here while Hinata busied herself getting an X ray, there was a small hospital nearby that was severely understaffed and underfunded enough to lack Rake detectors and she'd decided on it as the target. I had an hour before I had to arrive and cause distraction enough for her to lift her scans and slip out unnoticed.

Today had been different though, maybe it was the weather at play but Obito's place seemed as miserable as any other could be. I'm not sure why I reacted the way I did but when I heard the clack of shoe heels on the stone steps I darted behind my Uncles grave marker and hoped he wouldn't mind the intrusion. I sat in baited breath wet and muddy and glanced around my cover.

A pale Kakashi utterly distracted and frantic hovered feet away from me. I noticed he kept away from the grave his back pressed against the rusted railings of the path edge, he seemed reluctant even to look at his lost friends grave, instead his eyes glanced around flashing and landing everywhere else in search of something. More surprising though was what he held, a half crumbled and crushed carton of cigarettes were clenched tightly in one hand and a cheap plastic lighter in the other.

"Fuckin' piece of shit." Swore the Hatake drawing one of the intact dry cigarettes and struggling to get his lighter to function well enough to light it, it wasn't long though until the cigarette was soaked and useless from the rain and the water dripping from the man's own sagging silver hair. A jarring laugh echoed around the open space half-attracting Kakashi's attention as he spat out the cigarette to try a different one. He watched the other man with guarded eyes as he drew close enough to block the rain with his large umbrella.

"Just wouldn't be old Hatake if you weren't fumbling with a pack of cheap cigarettes." Commented the other man. He was tall, a shade taller than even the Hatake and more muscular too. Despite the cold weather he only wore a muscle shirt and cargo pants both a pitch black and his messy dark hair was held from his eyes by a worn looking grey bandana.

"Here." He grunted drawing a sliver lighter from his pant pocket and a pack of dry cigarettes. In a moment both he and Kakashi had a lit cigarette, though the other man seemed to be enjoying his more than the drenched detective.

"I'm supposed to have quit you know." Spoke Kakashi his voice lower than I'd heard it before with a bruised battered feel to it. The strange pair settled themselves on the railing and I ducked back further, Kakashi's companion was less hesitant to eye my hiding place.

"Yeah, heard that one before...Still can't believe you married his girl." Commented the dark man with a click of his tongue shaking his head in what could have been amusement. Somehow though I sensed amusement was very far from the feeling at hand.

"He asked me to take care of her, she loved me. It made sense." Muttered Kakashi in more than one particular first. I hadn't know Kakashi to ever refer to his marriage so flippantly, like a favour or a duty he'd preformed. And I hadn't known Rin was Obito's girl, I'd known they were all friends but never that they'd been involved. Kakashi's companion snorted earning a dark look from the Hatake.

"Sure it did." He sounded supremely unconvinced.

"Fuck you Zabuza." Snarled my mentor swearing again more easily and with a rough casualness that seemed both eerily unnatural for my guardian and seamlessly typical for this man in front of me with the crumbled pack of cigarettes and pained eyes.

"So how's that delicate little black widow taking it or have you even told her?" asked the man, Zabuza a viciously pleased toothy grin stretching along his lips. Another member for the anti Rin club I noted.

"I've told her Anko's back." Sighed Kakashi drawing a laugh from his companion, I guessed he had an idea of how Rin would take that. Hinata had even looked put out by Rin's discovery of that bit of information. I'd been impressed Kakashi managed to avoid those dishes when he told her he'd been talking to an ex, well he avoided most of them anyway, Rin had a hell of an arm.

"Probably for the best I suppose." Remarked Zabuza twisting around on the railing to rest one of his elbows on the rickety support uneasily.

"Whatever, what's the military want in my city?" snarled out the Hatake twisting around himself to mirror his friends position. I could see the tension in his back the corded muscles bulging against the damp royal blue of his shirt. The older man's recent weight loss may have had an unhealthy look to it but it certainly enhanced the results of his exercise routine.

"Where's the Beretta?" asked Zabuza softly and drawing my own attention to the guns absence from its holster beneath his left shoulder. The Hatake flicked away the butt of his finished cigarette and less than politely asked for another one. After a handful of attempts with his own disposable lighter it too joined the abandoned butt over the ledge and into the high grass.

"I don't bring it here. Now my question Zabuza." Answered Kakashi tersely, the question had only added to the tension he carried and made Kakashi appear distinctly dangerous at the moment, more so than he ever had with his beloved weapon.

"You think he's got something against jackets too, or that some personal self-abuse?" rumbled Zabuza's deep voice equal parts pitying and mocking, Kakashi glanced away and repeated his original question tightly.

"Who says I'm working, maybe I'm on holiday." Grumbled the taller man unconvincingly, Kakashi didn't bother to do anything more than glare at him for a moment before sighing tiredly in resignation. He seemed to give up on leading the conversation or controlling the other man.

"They don't give us free time Zabuza. Our holidays are where they say they are, unless you're doing poorly in the psych evaluations then maybe you go on a long walk you don't come back from." Muttered the silver haired man wiping a hand through his hair and then shaking it off when it came back soaked.

"Ah psych evals', the weekly lying session. Tell me your still lying through your teeth Hatake. You're so honest I worry about you…sometimes." Groaned Zabuza with a sardonic laugh, I was surprised when Kakashi nodded in the affirmative. He lied in his health tests.

"They know we're lying of course, the whole point of the thing's only to see if you've got it together enough to keep lying, keep cowering from the consequences of admitting the truth." Commented Kakashi a bitter twinge creasing his voice and lending it a hollow quality.

"I'm looking for the killer, the Higher ups are very interested in." Answered Zabuza after a brief pause crushing his cigarette under heel as he finished. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and I was inclined to agree with the sentiment of the expression.

"Just you, this killers probably a Rake and a damn pure one at that. Who knows what it can do if pushed." For all his words though Kakashi didn't sound all that concerned, already I'd deduced this Zabuza was an EIF and most likely a quite talented one too.

"I do have your department at my beck and call if I want it. But you don't need to worry I work alone, well these days at least." Answered Zabuza. My first thought was relief that Hinata and I could lie low while this Zabuza handled the rouge Rake but worries soon eclipsed that naïve thought. Zabuza could pick up Hinata's trail by accident in his search for the Rake, after all I had no idea how he'd go about investigating.

While I reflected on my thoughts I idly processed the noise in the background, a clap of hands shaking, a hearty laugh as Kakashi requested one for the road and a rasped good bye before their footsteps echoed away in different directions from their old friends grave. How strange I thought of Kakashi to have a meeting here but I guessed it made some sense, they were old comrades so visiting the grave was natural and Rin was still sensitive after the news of Anko's imminent arrival so I doubted a figure from the past that disliked her would go over well.

Kakashi it seemed was a much shadier operator than I gave him credit for.

And my but was wet and muddy.

* * *

"So tell me Nata, how'd you find this guy?" I asked Hinata watching her carefully as she sipped on her tea calmly…as if an arms merchant had not just called to explain he'd picked up the payment and dropped off the goods in the appointed location.

"You remember Tommy Rezana?" asked the pale girl setting her cup down lightly in its saucer. I swirled the remaining dregs of my own black coffee impatiently and nodded. The kid was two years older and still trying to make the grade to graduate. He had a reputation around the school and local area as the guy to see if you wanted something regular shops just didn't carry.

"I beat him up." Remarked the girl with the utmost casualness, I choked a little on the air finding it suddenly thick in my throat. Hinata at least had the decency to appear apologetic.

"I wore a mask and disguise." She defended herself pre-emptively finishing her tea. I wasn't even sure why I was surprised anymore as ever when it came to subtlety and digression Hinata and I spoke entirely different languages.

"And he gave you the name?" I asked already fearing the answer I knew I'd receive. She shook her head softly looking a little flustered and embarrassed…that meant it was a high number.

"How many people did you beat up following names Hinata?" I asked taking care to stress her full name, she was playing coy with me and I could tell she was proud and more than a little delighted with herself.

"Only eleven." She answered after a moment awaiting praise. I awkwardly complimented her on her control assuming she hadn't killed any of them as we prepared to set out to claim Hinata's new equipment.

She hadn't actually told me what she'd purchased. I had naturally assumed it was a handgun either a pistol or a revolver so I was naturally quiet shocked when she drew a steel case almost as big as her from the garbage dumpster a mile from our apartment that served as her drop point.

We got back to the apartment under the guise of young musicians hauling their instruments around, though I had to remind my partner that the box should seem heavy to her once or twice. Hinata was almost eerily gleeful as she set the package on our coffee table and flipped the heavy lip. She appeared to be a young girl at Christmas.

There were more weapons in the case than I expected though at first there only appeared to be the one. The high powered rifle gleamed a metallic blue and seemed to sparkle as Hinata ran a hand reverently over its barrel, various attachments, ammo clips and two dozen long wicked rounds sat in the case alongside the weapon.

With impressive ease the girl shifted the top portion of the case away to reveal the second layer of weaponry. Frightening as these were though they seemed to be of a cheaper nature than the rifle. A black semi-automatic shone dully in the lamb slick with oil with at least enough spare ammunition for three clips. A distinctly rough looking shotgun shared the space a dozen shells with it.

"First of all where'd you get the money for this, secondly why so much?" I asked uneasily hoping that she wouldn't try to convince me to carry one of these. I would not use a gun.

"The sixth and ninth guys I beat up were drug dealers, they had some spare cash lying around. The fourth was a pimp, I took his money too." She answered plainly seeming unperturbed by the fact that her new weaponry had been paid for through a combination of drugs, pimping and thievery.

"And the weapons are necessary. My organs and brain are very well defended. With the pistol I'd need to shoot through the eye and the torso would be near impossible unless I shot upward from between their legs. The shotgun can probably get through at close enough range. And the rifle should have the piercing power to punch through the armour anywhere." Explained Hinata drawing out her X rays and descending swiftly into techno babble about her theories on the internal armour, the how's and whys.

I pretended to listen and tried to do away with the image of Hinata with her guns.

* * *

That'd be it for chapter 7 hope you're enjoying still. As ever all opinion are welcomed and appreciated so do be nice and give me some feedback.

Any questions I can answered I'd be similarly delighted to hear so fire away.

R&R


	8. Storm

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 8;

* * *

A very rare form of Rake was created late in the war effort designed specifically for espionage codenamed Zeroes.

The Rakes possessed little to no enhanced physicality but boasted an enhanced intellect and movable face plates. Using the malleable bone structures of their faces the Rakes could alter their appearance to impersonate and replace targets.

Due to their enhanced camouflage abilities there has not been a recorded Zero in over a decade. Though suspicions remain as it was one of the few types known to resist losing abilities through the mixing of blood. If decendents in fact existed their abilities would still have the full potential of the original Zeroes.

* * *

I sipped on my cup of coffee idly as I awaited my girlfriend's reappearance, her own cup sat cooling on coffee table. Several minutes ago Hinata had burst through the front door drenched to the bone and barrelled her way into the bathroom, I'd spent the meantime while I waited for her preparing the coffee and ignoring the strange shrieks and hisses that erupted from the room.

She finally did emerge, one towel wrapped haphazardly around her still damp hair and another bundled in her arms. I allowed an eyebrow to arch as I realised the bundle was moving and kept it firmly there as a ruffled black cat burst from the pile and attempted to escape the girl. It was not quick enough.

The tom cat appeared less angry than terrified in her arms as it finally quieted down, I guessed playing dead in hopes of tricking the frightening woman.

"Nata, where'd you get the cat?" came my first question rolling drily off my lips unintended, I had originally planned on asking why she'd went out in the middle of a damn typhoon. She sent me a dazzling smile and I felt any of my lingering anger or annoyance swallow itself.

* * *

I glared at my blue black skin for a couple of seconds and turned the tap off with a snarl, the ink clearly was not coming off for a while. It was the problem with the limb I supposed, my right hand had been little more than chunks before the operation, with the implants and heavy reconstruction there wasn't much or the damn thing that really was me anymore. I couldn't feel the digits as they squeezed the pen like a vice, only realised what I was doing when the damn thing crumbled in my grip.

It was a shakiness I could have controlled if I'd had a little more sense, if I hadn't answered a curt text ordering me to breakfast this morning. And if my mouth would stop tasting like stale cigarettes and morning beer for all of five minutes then maybe I'd calm down, maybe if I could forget hands stronger than you'd expect them pulling at my shirt and on my neck and rough lips claiming my own then…

I let out a sigh abandoning the train of thought before I worked myself into a frenzy and instead grabbed my back up toothbrush and began roughly sanitising my mouth for what I estimated was the tenth or eleventh time today. I spat and wasn't surprised to see a distinctly unhealthy amount of blood pooling in the sink.

This wasn't healthy I knew, not at all. I'd have to come to a decision soon or I'd fall apart, or maybe tear myself apart. I wondered just how things would go if I confessed to Rin, would she leave me?

My office wasn't empty when I stepped back into it, my tall spiky haired former comrade had settled himself rather happily in my seat and planted his grimy boots on the desk. My first instinct was to kick him. The second was to set him on fire.

"Hi sweetie." He bit out deadpan pulling at a pocket on his service jacket and extracting a red and white pack of cigarette.

"Get out of my chair Zabuza." I snarled though it came out half strangled as my voice betrayed my lack of composer, I coughed and told myself it was just because I'd started smoking again.

"Aw and I was gonna offer you a cigarette." He remarked surprising me by actually heeding the order and climbing from the seat. That set me on edge, Zabuza could be childish at times and I figured if the assassin ever had been a kid he'd been one serious little brat. His not fighting meant he had something else in mind, I was at least one move behind the only guy I'd ever met who had actually shot a chess board in frustration.

"I hope Rin doesn't know you like I do." He mentioned leaning against the desk and pretending to examine something interesting on the barren wall. I sighed and took the bait, biting out a curt 'why'.

"You're gums are bleeding, you always do that after you've made out with someone you shouldn't." he pointed out. I'd been aware of my little guilt tripping quirk myself but I hadn't realised he'd picked up on it, and if he had who's to say Rin hadn't in all the years we'd known one another before getting together. My brain buzzed and I shot out the first defence that came to mind.

"Anko came into my office and made a move, obviously I pushed her away." I spoke my voice more smooth and confident than I'd been expecting it to be. Lying seemed to be a much too comfortable mode for me these days.

"Is that what happened? My oh my you are a liar aren't you?" he returned with a grin raising himself up with a boisterous laugh at my expense, he pulled a flash drive from his shirts pocket and tossed it at me.

"First encounter with the Rake, have a look." He smirked and what must have been my surprised expression and left the room another wicked laugh breaking the quiet. I spent what might have been ten minutes listening to the wind and the hail crash against my office window trying to untangle my twisted emotions before I abandoned the cause and set my mind on the drives contents instead.

* * *

My anger was back.

She hissed in annoyance as I dabbed her wounded shoulder with the disinfectant. The troublesome cat was still clutched in her lap appearing too frightened for anymore escape attempts.

"So this happened because you chased after that cat?" I asked, that's all she'd told me so far. Hinata nodded brightly quite obviously failing to grasp the problem with her actions. I couldn't really bring myself to explain it to her though, dangerous as it may have been I didn't want to scold one of her rare non logical impulsive decisions.

"Alright details Nata." I demanded, and after I gave in to her counter demands of getting our new pet a tray of milk she complied.

She started from once she had caught the elusive feline and began on her way home, apparently the entire reason for chasing the cat had been that it seemed wet and miserable in the storm and she wanted to take it home…apparently the cat reminded her of me, I shot down an attempt to name the cat after me at this point.

She'd been ambushed by a cloaked figure roughly two inches taller than herself, slim built, female and blue eyed. They'd had a brief exchange, which I managed to finally get out of Hinata after some probing and promising meant the assailant had kicked her in the head and pierced her shoulder with an icy spear. It also hadn't seemed to occur to her to drop the cat during this exchange.

Things would still turn stranger though as a second figure came to her rescue, a tall muscular figure I thought sounded suspiciously like Kakashi's friend Zabuza. It was at this point a knocking came at the door and I realised who it was even before approaching the door. Hinata surprised me pulling me into a sharp kiss before I went to the door.

"Kakashi?" I questioned slightly wide eyed at seeing him, even had Zabuza gone directly to him with a description it seemed impossible that he'd immediately assume it was Hinata. The grey haired man pushed past me sharply and into the kitchen to the injured Hinata.

"Have you called an ambulance?" he questioned me continuing the first aid I'd been applying before, Hinata looked noticeable jarred at the care.

"I have Nosocomephobia." She answered quickly, which was good because I was about to try using 'hospitalphobia' myself.

"She can still get aid Sasuke, here apply pressure." Ordered Kakashi whipping out his cell phone. I stepped between my guardian and girlfriend as I saw her eyes widen and muscles tighten, that would not help.

"Go limp." I whispered something barely approaching a plan forming in my mind's eye. Hinata reacted without hesitation allowing her body to go slack and slip from the chair, I barely managed to get a grip around her waist and prevent a nasty collision with the tiled floor.

"Fuck." I released a fraudulent curse to draw Kakashi and with his help got her to the bed in her room, well the spare room really but Kakashi didn't need to know that little bit of information.

"What happened to her?" I rounded on the older man throwing mock anger at him in heavy waves, panic and confusion mingling in my voice. Natural responses to a situation I didn't understand and a good loud distraction for Hinata.

"She was attacked, a former comrade of mine Zabuza Momochi came upon the scene and chased the assailant away but Hinata had disappeared by the time he returned. He made a recording of the attack but there's no clear line on the assailant." Explained Kakashi voice steady as he lead me to one of the kitchen chairs, it wasn't hard to keep an air of anxiety going.

"He recorded it, him stabbing her." I threw out aware of my own mistake, it had been a woman that attacked Hinata but it would be better if I seemed not to know that.

"It was an eye cam, he recorded the scene whilst intervening." Answered the Hatake before his head shifted suddenly to the left at some sound unheard by my own natural senses. Quicker than I could blink the grey haired man had drawn his Beretta and crossed the room the muscles in his back visibly tight.

I followed him as the door creaked open and the officer entered weapon held high at the ready. The bed sheets were crumpled, an empty shoebox lay open on the floor and the window was wide open allowing the chill night air and wind in. I hid my relief behind further false anger.

"She meant it, she's terrified of hospitals." I hissed making toward to window to perform the concerned boyfriend routine, Kakashi intercepted me though pulling me from the room a deep scowl creasing his features.

"Listen Sasuke, you've heard the news right. The killings?" asked the Hatake. Well I suppose I had, though best to leave out that Hinata and I had made our own attempts to investigate. I left my answer as a simple nod, scowling impatiently for all I was worth.

"That same killer targeted Hinata, she escaped but we've no idea how they'll react. They could just move on but there's as much a chance they'll retarget her and those close to her." I had a bad feeling where this was heading, which would make it challenging to contact Hinata or get her better weaponry to defend herself.

"You'll be staying with me, so will Hinata once we locate her." Spoke the Hatake. He wouldn't, not as long as she needed the hospital care that would reveal her tainted genetics and that rouge witch roamed the streets. She'd have reached the same conclusion as Kakashi undoubtedly, it certainly explained that strange kiss.

"Fine." I answered taking special care to pluck up my new companion as Kakashi called in the missing person. How long I wondered had she been planning to leave me behind for my own safety. Or maybe I was over thinking things, she couldn't have planned on me creating that window of opportunity and if she had she would have supplied herself a better weaponry. Wouldn't she?

I spent the car ride to Kakashi's quiet home thinking myself into circles. As it happened Rin was out of town at the moment, visiting her sister. Kakashi appeared strangely self-conscious about the house's messy state but I was far away, considerations of how best to try to link back up with or track down Hinata.

* * *

Chapter eight finished, funnily enough I'd originally planned to make this chapter light filler with a goofy tail of Hinata chasing after an ally cat that stole her lunch and adopting it…but yeah that didn't really take as it came out like this instead. Oh well.

Let me know what you think yadda yadda yadda.

Apologies for the delay between updates, I needed the down time.

R&R


	9. Clashing

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 9;

* * *

Witches were the final form of Rake created and according to some the only true Rakes. The earlier types had just been practice for this final master crafting.

The Witch types took abilities from different families. Enhanced strength, speed and reflexes to equal the Animal types but further refined to lack their obvious give aways. The ability to channel devestating attacks for the short lived Elemental family. Hypnotic abilities drawn from the interogation types and a handful of other little some abilities taken from here and there. Witches in fact were unique in not coming standard like the other types, rather their abilities were far more customised and could vary wildly from individual to individual.

Unique to the Witch model though were two important abilities that cemented Rake's reputation of being as brilliant as he was mad. Overclock was the potential for a Witch to remove it's power limiter for short bursts and double or in some cases even triple their offensive abilities. There was one small snag in the process though; a psychological block that prevented the Rake from using this ability without an emotional responce, something the good doctor had a particular dislike of.

This lead to the second feature of the Witch model, the Bond. In order to both give the Witches access to subdued emotions and still keep them thoughly leashed they were programmed to imprint on a partner, someone who the Witch would prioritise above all else and trust unconditionally.

Of course like all good things in life problems arose. Later Witches stopped imprinting on the intended target and instead chose their own partner. Though as annoying as many found this it still wasn't a massive problem, it was assumed certain individuals simply had some still unknown trait that made the bonding easier and as the Witches were kept under lock and key there was little risk of them imprinting on someone completely undesirable. The second problem was much more dangerous. As Rake's heirs discovered complete devotion could cause problems, jealousy was a huge problem and eventually it seemed the majority of Witches felt the need to be their partners everything. Love, Keeper, Killer.

After several high commanding deaths the Witch project and ultimately Rake creation as a whole was cancelled.

* * *

I spent most of the night tossing and turning in fitful attempts to sleep until well past the midnight mark when my backup phone beeped to life with a message from an unknown number. At first glance it would have appeared a mistake detailing how my golf club membership would expire in two days' time and instructions on my last chance to renew.

It was a code for us to meet, Hinata would be at the school boxing gym in two days' time. I assumed the golf club bit meant as much since there wasn't a golf course anywhere near the city.

As it turned out I was not the only company that Kakashi had at his home this weekend as I discovered upon entering the kitchen to find some breakfast that morning. The imposing dark figure of Zabuza stood fiddling with the coffee maker a look of immense concentration darkening his brow, he might have been an intimidating site if he wasn't trying to brush of Hei-se the cat and wearing a pair of too worn and too small gym shorts I'd wager he'd borrowed or stolen from Kakashi.

"Any idea how to work this damn thing?" was his gruff apparent introduction as he gave the coffee maker another futile shake. It wasn't a surprise the other man couldn't operate it, Kakashi had continued to use the thing long after anyone else would have replaced it, the symbols had been worn away from use and the plug had to be jingled just right to work.

Kakashi insisted the coffee was lucky.

"Sasuke, nice to meet you too." I responded drawing a wolfish grin from the man as I attempted to make the coffee machine work with only marginally greater success.

"Ah you must be the mini-kashi. Zabuza Momochi, worlds most dangerous man...among other things." Grunted the man taking a seat while I worked and planting his feet on the kitchen table.

"Mini-kashi? Tell me, among those other things are the titles idiot and moron included." I threw back distractedly as the machine sparked and hissed at me finally coming to life, the moment of victory was ruined by a dry 'congratulations' from the other man.

"I'd heard from the boys in the station you're like a little Kakashi, they're not wrong." Responded the dark man with a laugh. I guess I could see what he was talking about, more than once Kakashi had been confused for my actual parent.

"That a compliment?" I asked fishing in the cupboard for a cup and coming up empty, now that I looked closer all the dishes in the over filled sink were more or less cups. Out of ingrained manners I washed a second for the annoying man and a third for Kakashi whenever he decided to join us.

"Haven't decided yet. So tell me how'd you and Kakashi get so close?" the cryptic man asked accepting an offered cup of coffee with little more than a nod of thanks. Kakashi and I? I'd known him as far back as I could remember but not always that well, mostly he was the sort of cool guy that hung around over Uncle Obito's shoulder at gatherings. I suppose we'd really bonded while Obito had been my care taker after my parents accident, we'd lived in the apartment Hinata and I occupied now and Kakashi had more or less played den mother to keep us alive...well until that mission anyway, the one Obito didn't come back from.

"Same taste in music." Cracked a tired voice from the door way as Kakashi padded into the room bare foot and altogether more scruffy than I expected him. Usually the Hatake was the height of professional, early to rise and make it into the office, today he appeared to be running late and didn't seem to care all that much.

"The sleeping beauty awakes." Quipped the soldier earning himself an annoyed glare from the silver haired man. He didn't seem too put off though, I guessed the rarity of waking up to freshly brewed coffee minus the usual risk of electrocution made his mood hard to dampen.

"I need to get something from home, before I go to school." I remarked as much to my surprise Kakashi began routing around the presses from some pots and pans, he was actually going to make breakfast. I was under the impression he'd become conditioned to coffee as every meal of the day someone didn't force him to eat, it certainly explained his unhealthy weight.

"We'll stop off there then, but you'll be studying in the station today once we collect your assignments from school." Explained Kakashi pulling eggs and a carton of milk from the fridge and after a tentative sniff to ensure the latter was usable carried them back to his workspace.

"Give him the day off. Let him help finding his girl." Chimed in Zabuza, for a professional soldier he seemed to have little to no interest in discipline of any kind, or authority. Kakashi didn't bother answering him though, and I doubted it was because he was busy with his culinary task. It was strange to see what just one night away from Rin had done for the man, some of the tension he'd been carrying had fallen away and more importantly he looked as if he would be eating well again…it seemed to validate my belief that Rin was a succubus of some description.

Soon a host of delicious scents had filled the room as Kakashi worked on the meal patiently only pausing briefly to chew out Zabuza about his feet being on the table.

"When'd he get domesticated?" asked the other man leaning in toward me conspiratorially, a large toothed grin spreading across his features when Kakashi threw him a dirty look. From what I could remember he'd always been a serviceable cook, though if I thought about it I could recall the occasional cook book lying around Obito's apartment in my youth. Whatever the Hatake had prepared usually tasted good when compared to Obito's efforts of microwave nuking things.

I offered Zabuza a shrug as Kakashi served the meal.

It was a nerve wreaking task once I reached my apartment to decide exactly how I'd make my play, on the short trip over I'd had just enough time to admit I wouldn't be slipping out of Kakashi's protective grip anytime soon but that being what it was this could still be my best chance to get some supplies to Hinata.

I tried to hide how sweaty my palms were as Kakashi helped me carry the rifles steel case to his car.

"So what it this?" asked the silver haired man shifting some of the crap he stored in the back seat aside to make room for the gleaming case.

"Engineering project, it's due in a week, I thought it best to bring it in now with you giving me a ride and all." I rambled slightly hoping the sliver haired man wouldn't get curious.

"You know this won't fit in your locker right?" spoke up the older man eventually giving up his game of pseudo Tetris and resorting to just shoving the case until it defied physics and fit.

"It'll fit in the one in the boxing club." I explained, that had been precisely why I'd taken the largest of the weapons. Kakashi gave a relaxed 'ah-ha' very much ignorant of my shattering nerves.

* * *

Apparently Kakashi had taken some of Zabuza's advice to heart.

Instead of locked in some office behind a wall of cops drowning in worksheets and questions of where Hinata might have fled Kakashi had brought me somewhere more…therapeutic. The shooting range.

I hadn't been here in a while, but my more pressing concern was that Kakashi appeared to be possessed, or maybe replaced by a body snatcher. He ignored the paper work piled on his desk, gleefully explained to the other detectives he'd been delayed as he'd come upon a black cat and had to take an alternative route, something that sounded eerily like an excuse Obito had offered to my mother one new year's day, and asked if anyone had a certain book I was pretty certain was part of Jiraiya's erotic novel series.

"Eh, Kakashi, you've not started taking any medication I should know about have you?" I asked the Hatake as he gathered some practice equipment from his dented ancient locker.

"No, I've just…had a change of perspective." Commented the older man, not really doing anything to abate my worries. That certainly sounded like an allusion to mind altering narcotics.

"Got an interesting package in the mail yesterday, only opened it last night but it shed some light on a lot of things." It didn't take me long to make the connection and I wondered if this is how Hinata had really planned it, sending the blackmail package to the Hatake residence when Rin was away. Maybe it was just a wonderful coincidence.

"What kind of package?" I asked playing dumb, which I noted seemed to be my default setting these days.

"Just an informative one Sasuke, one that's going to change a couple of things but not until after all this is over. Here." Explained Kakashi sounding almost defeated as he passed a small box over to me. Not for the first time I was caught by how altruistic the old soldier could be, his marriage most definitely would be falling apart- hell he'd probably do most of the tearing from this point on himself- but he was putting that on hold until after my problems were fixed.

I opened the box and felt my breath seem to evaporate in my chest. The silver seemed to sparkle as I examined the almost familiar sight before me. Obito's revolver. Obito hadn't been in the infantry but a mechanic during the war period and whenever he was enlisted on certain missions that required his assistance. He'd carried this gun for years but according to him only ever fired it once in actual combat.

"I thought it was…" I trailed off, the half mangled revolver had been part of the way Obito was identified in the end, wanna be cowboy that he was.

"It's been repaired pretty drastically but as much of the old one as could went into it." Explained Kakashi encouraging me to take the weapon and try it. It was heavy, but heavy in a good kind of way and the trigger was smooth and balanced. Kakashi passed me several blank rounds and set up two targets. Then he began explaining the rules of his training games, round one quick draw, round two multiple targets…he continued on listing sometimes bizarre rulings, left handed, one eye blind folded, low lighting.

When we were finished most of my right and left arms were sore from different exercises and the effects of recoil. We avoided actually discussing Obito because honestly I wasn't sure what to say and I doubted Kakashi knew either, but I couldn't help feeling that with his gun here by my side something of my Uncle had come back too. I hadn't realised how much I'd needed that.

* * *

"That new girl's really cute you know." Commented my blonde friend fishing around his cup in a futile search for more noodles, I raised an eyebrow at him hoping I was getting the wrong idea. Or was Naruto one of those guys.

"Sakura?" I offered tentatively. I couldn't be sure, having worked hard to avoid the woman at all costs, but I thought she might have been taller than the Uzumaki, if only by a hairs breath.

"Yeah, have you seen her eyes? They're beautiful." Gushed the blonde, I raised an eyebrow.

"Eye's huh, I've never heard them called that before." I put in earning a pouty glare from Naruto where he tried to play the morally superior role for all of fifteen seconds before admitting yet he'd noticed the girls legs seemed to go on for just about forever. He quieted sharply though as my mind drifted to Hinata and I guess my expression had shown it.

"No news about Hinata yet?" he asked offering a question where most would probably have kept the awkward silence, a testament to either his bold nature or his thick headedness.

"Not yet, but Kakashi's hopeful. You asked Sakura out then?" I asked. I wasn't really worried since I had heard from Hinata and set up the weapon drop for her, of course Naruto didn't know that though so I kept my expression stricken as I changed the subject. It also would perk up my spirits to hear just how Naruto would approach the girl. I wouldn't be surprised if his opening gambit was mentioning how much more he liked small breasted women.

"Well it took a little to bring her around, and I think I might have gotten a hematoma where she hit me but she agreed to dinner. Actually she mentioned double dating, seemed to think you two were real close." Slight suspicion littered his tone but it was only playful. Despite the sudden pang of worry I felt at knowing Sakura was planning something it was a relief that she didn't know about our current problems, it would be dangerous if Sakura was in cahoots with the rogue Rake.

"We've some classes together." And any attraction was completely one-sided as I found the girls personality as pleasant as being water boarded. Naruto seemed ignorant of such feelings though as he sung her praises loud, though his description of her skills on the basketball team seemed to focus more on how much skin the uniform revealed.

The shrill ring of a fire alarm interrupted Naruto's recollection on the basketball game- first and only I thought- he'd seen. We loitered through the hallways and out the nearest fire exit but not before I snatched up my back pack with Obito's- actually my own I corrected- revolver.

We hadn't been outside for many moments before something went horribly wrong, Naruto was forced backward crashing against the wooden door by some shadowy figure before it rounded on me. I had just enough time to regret not carrying my new weapon on my hip and make a futile try to reach into my bag before the figures leg lashed out. The shadowy limb connected with a hasty block and I felt the bones in my forearm crack under the pressure and throw me into a painful roll.

I expected a rein of blows to come down upon me as I gritted my teeth and held my wounded arm but they never came. I heard a gunshot and glanced through blurred vision as a smaller golden haired figure engaged my assailant driving her backward viciously.

Hinata's left hand flashed with the silver of iron knuckles as she drove it into the dark woman's ribs with a resounding crack, her right followed it the barrel of the pistol she held hammering against the side of the blondes face tearing her hood away before with a twist Hinata drove the ball of her foot into the woman's stomach.

Her hood removed I almost marvelled by the angelic appearance of the woman as Hinata's own hair faded back to black and she released a shaky breath.

Despite how damaging the melee had appeared though the other woman took only several precious seconds to recover brushing off the damage and returning the assault with vigour. Both hands flashed an eerie white as twin spires of ice formed in her hands. Hinata fell backward dodging the stabs and thrusts of the other Rake and only countering with the occasional gunshot to avoid being overwhelmed.

The gun was forced away though as one of the ice spikes cut a shallow wound into Hinata's hand, she was driven further and further back as I crawled to my pack and drew out my revolver with my uninjured left firing several shots. I think they may have grazed the fast woman as she drew back but if they had the damage was superficial.

If nothing else though we'd delayed the attack long enough and made enough noise to alert backup. Both Hinata and the assailants eyes darted to the fire door as voices echoed behind it, most notably Kakashi's. I felt myself drifting into unconsciousness as the blonde fled and Hinata's shadow fell over me.

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The end of chapter 9 folks, hope you are still enjoying the story and feel compelled to leave long detailed reviews with well thought out feedback, questions and opinions on the plot and characterisations.

R&R


	10. Awake

Title; Witch

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter - 10;

* * *

There exists a place in every city known to most as The Pit or to its inhabitants as the Free World.

The Pit was the shadowy reflection of the true city, a place of filth that thrived on chaos above all else. Nothing in that hole was sacred or safe, no murderer or devil to craven or foul to roam free. A place where the strong murdered or raped the weak as they pleased and all its scum blooded denizens preyed upon the pure above of the true city.

The Free World was a sanctuary for freedom, a place free of the oppression of the totalitarian government where history and culture were still free to exist. A place where for a man happiness could be his goal and not service to the head of state. Rakes and men of all walks of life were given the same rights free of the bias of the world above.

Neither was true.

The Free Pits were truly the reflection of the cities they lay beneath, as cruel and difficult to survive as life under the government only opposite in its means. For each freedom a man gained a sacrifice had to be made and vice versa.

* * *

I expected to feel a world of pain on waking, the kind that I figured went with a shattered arm. The world however had other plan's. It seemed to be playing host to some strange bizarre practical joke at my expense.

I couldn't feel much of anything in regards pain as I glanced around the low lit room. I was uncomfortably aware however that the soft mattress I lay on seemed to be trying to swallow me. Deeper and deeper I was pulled before some instinct in the back of my mind informed me it was time to start panicking.

And I would have, had she not bounded into view. My one true love, my angel, my light, my goddess my…the tight grip of the demon mattress pulled me away from my list of understatements as I felt it raising higher about me.

"Hinata, you've got to help! This devil bed, it's going to swallow me!" I gave a whispered cry shocking the girl into a step backward as she blinked and examined the bedding with a critical eye, poking the beast in what I thought was a rather lazy effort at rescuing me.

"No, it's not Sasuke. It's just a normal bed." Now that she'd mentioned it the bed had seemed to withdrew back to standard mattress behaviour, for the moment anyway. I glanced at my girlfriend as she busied herself examining me pleased if not a little confused to see she'd donned a nurses uniform at some point while she'd been caring for me.

"Where'd you get the uniform Nata?" I asked lazily. I tried moving my right arm but found the task impossible, a quick glance revealed the limb sheathed in a new trendy cast and buckled down. What a strange thing to do.

"What uniform Sasuke?" asked the pale beauty cocking her head ever so slightly to the left with an adorable expression of mild confusion. I raised my useable hand and poked her nose lightly drawing another cute look from Hinata as her confusion escalated.

"The nurses uniform silly." I told her, was it some strange test to see if my eyes were working right. I hadn't hit my head, had I?

"I'm not wearing a nurses uniform Sasuke." She answered too seriously for me to doubt a worrying grimace stretching out her lovely lips. There seemed to be a couple of long seconds of dragged out silence between us as my swimming mind proceeded to put two and two together.

"Nata…what did you give me for the pain?" I didn't like the nervous giggle she gave in response to my question.

* * *

The pain was back and I was damn pleased about it. For one it meant I had reasonable use of my mental facilities once more, which was always nice.

The room we were in as it turned out belonged to an underground doctor, a renegade who treated Rakes and criminals alike, didn't ask questions and hid from the world for reasons he shared with himself and nobody else. I could make a pretty reasonable guess though given the new nature of my right arm.

Hinata had only found him after escaping Kakashi's aid at the apartment, well actually it was more reasonable to see he found Hinata. He'd patched up her shoulder, or at least enough to fight, and the two had come to a sort of arrangement.

The doctor wanted the body of the rogue witch terrorising us, he refused to say why and when Hinata put it to him why he wanted that witch for study and not say herself he'd been cagey at best in his answering. In short it had to do with what he'd done before going to ground, the witch had some relation to that and so he wanted her.

Hinata might have been a bit more reluctant if she had many more options or if he hadn't been offering what he had been. What was currently sewn up in my right arm. This good doctor had access to an undisclosed amount of body implants and what that meant to Hinata was she could make me just a little less fragile.

"Put that down!" I barked at the doctor. I couldn't see behind his mask but I had the feeling the creep was grinning at me as he set my gun down with a mocking display of reverence. He went near it again I'd shoot him. Hinata had stilled at the shout. She'd been pretty still before anyway, since she'd told me what she'd done and added the percentages of how we were better off now that I had a degree of power like her.

"It belong to you huh kid?" he threw out but didn't bother waiting around for a response spinning on his heel and pulling off his surgeons mask as he strode from the room. I didn't pay the irritating man's quirks any heed turning instead on my quiet lover.

"You should have asked me?" I bit out trying to keep the anger from overwhelming my voice.

"There wasn't any need, these won't inconvenience you in any way." She spoke matter of fact, right I guess these went just nicely with the profile she'd built up about me. Increased strength, speed and reflexes- who would say no.

"What if I want to have a kid someday Hinata." I gritted out, I'd never really thought about it before, hell I was far too young to think about it. But now that I knew it would be impossible…when I recalled the blissful way Kakashi had been.

"Witch types can't reproduce. I cannot give birth." A response died on my lips. One I would have regretted wording because there really wasn't going to be anyone other than Hinata and I couldn't be angry at her for assuming we'd always be together, for not allowing that I might fall for another and wish to start a family with them. Hinata saw the response anyway.

"But if you wanted to with someone else…" she trailed off her gaze leaving mine and falling to the dirty tiled floor, I could see tears silently gathering in her eyes and didn't doubt they confused the detached girl as she wiped them away. I twisted out of the bed as best I could cringing as pain raced through my arm.

"Nata I don't want anyone else, I never do. This, it's just a lot to take in." I breathed praying for her to understand. for all the times I'd hoped and prayed for more displays of emotion I'd never wanted this, to have her wounded and hurt spilling tears because of me.

"…I-I couldn't…I couldn't protect you, she was just so strong and she was going to kill you. To get to me, because of me, you dead…" she broke into a rambled confusion of accusations against herself and horrified mutterings of my death as I tried to shush her and comfort her.

Maybe it had been that that caused her to make this choice for me. She'd been rocked by that other Rake. I had too but she was still terrified, not of anything the Witch could or would do to her but for my sake and only my sake.

I felt low and more than a little worthless. If this new arm could do anyway with these tears, banish any fears Hinata had then there wasn't a price I wasn't willing to pay for it.

There wasn't a price I wasn't willing to pay for her.

"So what do we do now?" I asked forcing my shaky legs to carry me over to my weapon, Hinata followed staying close out of concern. She gave the weapon a glance and an elegant eyebrow rose high behind her bangs.

"That's a pretty old model." She breathed reaching out to brush the dark iron, her eyes raising to meet mine in an unnecessary question before her hand wrapped itself around my own over the handle.

"Yeah, it belonged to my Uncle. He had a thing of old stuff." Old music, old movies, whatever he could find from the old days in the underground markets. But now wasn't really the time for reminiscing on easier times, there was something we had to take care of. And Hinata wouldn't like my plan for taking care of our witch problem.

"Did you get the rifle?" She hadn't and I was a little relieved when she explained she hadn't been away from my side since I'd fallen unconscious. It wouldn't be much of a problem, we had time to prepare, talented as Zabuza was the blonde had been in a class of her own.

"She was enhanced wasn't she, constantly in an enraged state." Hinata nodded a confirmation. It explained the crushing difference in powers between her and Hinata but I wasn't sure how it was possible, Hinata only ascended like that in quick bursts and they tended to leave her drained.

"Part way I think, her form seemed more balanced. Maximum gains for minimum energy wastage. I think she's older too, like Sakura so even at base she could probably over whelm me." Explained the brunette nipping at her lip strangely self-consciously. I could sympathise, someone that could out do Hinata in such a way was terrifying.

"Would the rifle work, if you had a clean shot at her?" I asked. A stupid plan springing to mind, well maybe not stupid so much as it was insane…being in Hinata's company did that to a person I guess.

"It would. But she'd need to be distracted too." Answered the pale girl frowning as I saw her mentally dismissing the possibility, she lacked imagination at times.

"She'll be distracted, I'll make sure of that." I answered unable to help myself from smiling as almost exaggerated shock and horror lined her soft features and her lips formed the words several times mutely before she finally spat a shaky 'no!'

"You've given me a new arm Hinata, now let me use it." I offered my best argument. She'd seen to it herself that I had more power now, I might have added more to it except my hastiness finally caught up with me. I felt myself fall backwards and Hinata fretting over me and calling for my 'doctor'.

Maybe it would be another couple of days before I could play distraction.

* * *

As it turned out my arm being a large part foreign material now meant a decreased recovery time. I didn't much like the feel to it though. I expected the limb to feel heavier for the changes but instead it was eerily light almost to the point I couldn't feel it.

Stronger and faster too but incredibly awkward for it. It would take a considerable amount of time to get used to it…and stop crushing and shattering anything I tried to pick up. I found Hinata strangely pleased that the arm was on par with her own, in her base form at least.

"It's certainly a strange place." I remarked watching the street vendors interact with their customers. Tattoo's and piercings covered half the people's faces, given their contraband nature above I guessed they were declarations of allegiance, to this free pit. Nothing had a set price but rather everything was bartered for.

Hinata in particular seemed more strange here than elsewhere. I'd understood the need for disguising ourselves to roam around down here, I just hadn't expected her to have been…so into it.

I had to admit though, she certainly looked good in leather.

She had her hair tied up in a tight bun and wore a decorative mask but covering her facial features was probably unnecessary given the rest of her outfit. The tight leather dress gripped her curves impressively as did the jeans she wore beneath, her knee high boots added something to the outfit.

I on the other hand looked like I might have been her gimp sex slave…which wasn't really as incorrect an assumption as I would like to admit.

"It's nice in a way, more freedom." She spoke. I could tell from the glances that most threw her way and the wide berth we were given by the crowd that she'd wasted no time in asserting her dominance over the others. It was sort of funny how shaken up some of the more intimidating figures became whenever the hollow eyes of Hinata's mask turned on them.

"So what should I call you here, or do you have a name?" I whispered to her, I could imagine the cocky grin she was most likely wearing beneath her cover.

"They started calling me the Lightning I think." She answered. I think I'd drop the 'the', seemed an unnecessary amount of reverence for a name.

"Lighting, suits you." I was aware the small talk was mostly my nerves acting out but the realisation had little help in stopping me all the same. It could be mere hours that I had left to live if even that unless things went exactly as planned.

* * *

That's chapter 10 folks, hope the pause hasn't put you off.

Next chapter should be the climax of the Rogue Witch arc and will hopefully have a real good fight scene.

R&R


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